MINISTER OF SPORTS AND RECREATION, MP, TOKO XASA, IS SHOCKED BY THE ALLEGED RACIST BEHAVIOR OF RUGBY ANALYST AT SUPERSPORT, JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG.

20 May-2018

The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Minister Toko Xasa is shocked by the alleged behavior of rugby analyst at SuperSport studios. This happened after a former springbok player Ashwin Willemse walked off set following an apparent comments made by fellow presenters, Nick Mallet a former springbok player and coach and Naas Botha a former South African rugby union player who played during the era of apartheid (see Sport24 report).

Minister Xasa condemns this continued behavior of white entitlement in the sport of rugby.

"This behavior of entitlement by some white South Africans who continue to think that their whiteness represent better must come to an end, if it was not for a barbaric nonsensical apartheid system that privileged them we could not have implemented quota system to normalize an otherwise abnormal system. Willemse is not just a former springbok player but in 2003 he was named SA Rugby Player of the Year, young player of the year and the player's player of the year. Players like Willemse, Habana, Kolisi continue to make us proud as a nation and affirm that they are not token players or quota players." Xasa said.

"It is clear that Ashwin Willemse was referred as a quota player by his fellow panelist despite his many successes in the field of play, I call upon SuperSport to suspend the two panelist while they are busy with full investigation. The continued appearance of Mallet and Botha will be seen as an endorsement of their alleged racist behavior" Minister Xasa added.

Minister Xasa calls upon all South Africans to continue to use sport to unite, create social cohesion and build our nation. Racist elements must be exposed and isolated.

Statement issued by Mr Vuyo Mhaga, Spokesperson for the Sports and Recreation Ministry, 20 May 2018