Need more transformation in Springbok team
I have never been found guilty of any offence and I have no criminal record. These are just dirty tricks
Newly elected ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza, on allegations that he had fallen foul of the law
THE idea that affirmative action and competence are exclusive is fraudulent.
City Press editor Ferial Haffajee has credited affirmative action numerous times in her rising to be one of the most powerful black women in the media. She turned the Mail and Guardian around to be a leading selling newspaper in South Africa and did the same with City Press.
The Herald is another case in point where under its current black editor, Heather Robertson, readership and circulation of diverse demographics has grown to represent us all (through its content) rather than a paper that was deemed as exclusively for white readers.
This is why the lack of black players in our national rugby team makes no sense except to justify racism. There are numerous stories in South Africa where black professionals have added immense value in the their respective industries.
And we must take cognisance of this even in the national rugby team. Trying to say simply that we are one jolly rainbow nation when the rugby team remains untransformed simply does not cut it any longer.
South Africans are no longer drunk with the spirit of nation building and reconciliation as in 1995 when the Springboks won the World Cup.
We are a nation seeking content, reality and no longer sentiment or symbolism only of a rainbow nation.
In 1995, one could argue that we were still a new nation excited by sharing the same spaces without real transformation.
Some 21 years down the line, we are not very new, and expect some changes and advancements representing the diverse country we are.
The other argument that our national soccer team is untransformed is unsubstantiated at best.
Banana Bafana has had two white captains in its teams whereas the rugby team has never had a black captain leading it.
In a country that is pondering and seeking the realities of a transformed nation, it does not take a sports fan to be annoyed by the glaring reality that rugby is lacking in transformation and for people to blame racism for it.
Where do coaches look for players – both black and white – to ensure the team is transformed and competent? Admittedly, I confess that I am not a sports fanatic whether it comes to soccer or rugby, but lack of transformation does not need an expert to see. It is glaring.
I can bet an arm and a leg that the lack of looking for national team selection in spaces where competent black players will be found is one of the reasons it remains untransformed.
It's the same in corporate South Africa, where companies complain that black professionals do not apply for certain positions, yet the posts were advertised in an Afrikaans newspaper alone. Chances of finding a black professional reading an Afrikaans newspaper are slim to none.
The question then becomes: do the coaches go to places where they are most likely to find black players that can add value to the game or are black players simply expected to get themselves to the structures that have been predominately white in or- der to make it for selection in the national team? And then shout that black people are not skilled.
Add to that the largely white rugby team has had underwhelming results and the sentiment that being white simply makes one competent is refuted. It does not.
The idea that, after the coming of democracy, black and white South Africans compete on an equal playing field is another sham. They simply share the same spaces.
This is why a concerted effort is needed to ensure that the Springbok team transforms by ensuring that it has players who are competent, both black and white players. Until then there will be bids to block the Springboks in participating in the World Cup.
Call me racist, but being represented by a predominantly white national team with one or two black faces is simply not good enough in a diverse country like ours. Bid on!