Sport helps to unify our nation. This is so self-evident that it seems unnecessary to repeat it. But South Africans are so diverse in terms of colour, culture, language, religion, and origin, that those aspects of life that serve to unify us must be emphasised and built upon.
Nothing is so thrilling as seeing and hearing our national anthem sung by players and the crowds at test matches. The teams we field and the supporters cheering them on are increasingly mixed and reflective of SA. At international cricket matches, the crowds look much more like South Africa. Soccer still has a way to go but with the encouraging resurgence of Bafana Bafana, soccer could become a source of national pride.
South Africa is considering bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games. If awarded to us, this would give us an enormous boost in terms of world attention, and increased tourist spending but in promoting national pride in our swimmers and athletes. An additional benefit would be the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among our young people.
Whether we get the Olympics or not, 2036 is not that far off. The athletes who will be participating here or wherever else the Games take place are 9 or 10 years old now. If we are to take the promotion of sport as a serious challenge, our schoolchildren must be given the benefit of school sport. Shockingly, many, many government schools do not offer any sport at all. It seems that the teachers are too busy running ANC branches or dealing with SADTU teachers’ union matters, that they do not have the time to devote to the children. More than 70 years ago, as a primary school child, my ordinary government school offered soccer in the winter and cricket in the summer. At High School, all boys were expected to participate in rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer, as well as athletics and swimming in the appropriate seasons. Teachers were required to supervise these sporting activities and most seemed to do so with glad hearts.
At many private schools, pupils are encouraged to participate in a bewildering variety of activities. My grandchildren, a boy and a girl aged 10, have the opportunity to swim, play squash, cricket, soccer, rugby, netball, hockey, and waterpolo, as well as to learn to play a musical instrument and to sing in the choir. A lot of government schools offer similar or at least some of those activities, but far too many do not. Most of those that do not are township schools. How can the products of these schools ever hope to compete? The same applies to educational attainments; far too many of those schools produce young people who are ill-equipped for employment in the modern world.
More than 30 years into the modern era, ANC governments have failed to even attempt to bring about equality of opportunity for most of our children. One hopes that the GNU will do a great deal better. The emphasis has to be on the welfare and the preparation of children for a productive life.
But it is not all up to the GNU. Parents, School Governing Bodies, public representatives at all levels, private companies, teachers, and the learners themselves need to resolve to create opportunities for sporting activities for every child. Not everyone can be a Proteas cricketer, but many more could aspire and have the benefit of a healthy body. And as a way of promoting national unity, this is a winner.
Douglas Gibson is a former opposition chief whip and former ambassador to Thailand.
This article first appeared in The Star newspaper.
