That rotund, vertically challenged clown, our sports minister Fikile Mbalula, has chosen to do battle with the world’s leading sports bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, by demanding that all national teams reflect the demographics of the nation.
This is known as quota selection, practised in this country for many sad decades by the late and unlamented National Party. Those worthies had, in turn, adopted the SA quota system from Hitler’s Nazis, whose charming approach to racial quotas was known as the Holocaust and was quite simple: in order to avoid working with, playing with, socializing with or, God forbid, marrying Jews it was simple: kill them. Yes, all six million in Nazi-occupied regions of Europe.
Our lot called it apartheid and their quota system was quite simple. Sporting teams, for example were either 100% white or 100% of colour. All public facilities were segregated as were schools, buses, hospitals, beaches, jails, offices. Never would the twain meet. We would be all be eternally segregated, each tucked away in his her racial classification.
We all know what the costs in human suffering were of apartheid, the ultimate quota system in which social engineers dictated to us, poisoning the minds of generations of kids and ruining the lives of millions simply because of their race.
We were, quite rightly, ejected, after the 1960 games in Rome, from the Olympic movement. We were ejected because the government of the day ordered that all sports in our country would always be segregated. Different races would not be permitted to compete against each other. Only whites could represent the country. Just another quota system, no matter how you dress it up.
And, under no circumstances, would people of colour be selected to represent the nation in international sporting events. Quotas again: 100% white and 0% of colour. Racial quota systems are racial quota systems. And they discriminate against the innocent who are punished simply for being what they are.
It is inherent in any racial quota system that merit will not be the deciding factor, regardless of how this might affect the outcome. The sin of Germany’s Jews was that they were extremely clever, immensely hard-working, perceptive, visionary and brave.
Thus they occupied roles in Germany’s business, educational, medical, legal, scientific and academic communities completely out of proportion to their 1% share of the country’s population. This enraged Hitler and his envy of the Jews and his resentment of their achievements led to the Holocaust.
Anyway, back to sport and our jet-setting minister and master of the faux pas.
Presumably Mbalula is literate although some of his remarks might suggest otherwise. For example: "You are mockering around a political position," was one of his best-quoted replies which no one, then or now, understood. He also called respected finance minister, Trevor Manuel, a “drama queen. And so on.
It would assist him if he were to take the time to read the Olympic Charter and then ask himself if his government-mandated quota interference in team selection is a wise way to go.
For example, here are sections from the preamble to the Charter, in many ways the constitution of world sport:
“4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
“6. The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
“7. Belonging to the Olympic Movement requires compliance with the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC.”
Thus, if Mbalula and his cabinet colleagues are happy to risk our second expulsion from the Olympics then he and they must pursue this quota garbage. In doing so, they will, of course, destroy the ambitions of many young folks of colour who wish to do nothing more than compete at the Games and bring honour to our country.
Good luck, minister, in explaining yourself to them.
Sport is, of course, all about numbers. The stopwatch, the tape measure and the scale don’t lie and you can’t take part in the Games unless you meet minimum standards. Mbalula can shout and jump about as much as he likes but unless the athlete can achieve the standards set he or she, regardless of colour or background, cannot take part.
Just read the rules, buddy.
