NEC STATEMENT ON THE GLOBAL WATCH - SAY NO TO RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION IN SPORT
The ANC, from its inception, stood against racism. As recognised by one of our forebears, Pixley kaIsaka Seme, "the demon of racialism... is the cause of our backwardness". The Freedom Charter, our blueprint for transformation of South Africa into a united, non racial, non sexist and democratic South Africa, declares that "the doors of learning and culture shall be open to all".
Throughout our history, we have continued to confront racism in all its manifestations. We will recall the pivotal intervention made by our collective leadership across race in Kwazulu-Natal in the 1940s, by Doctors Xuma, Dadoo and Naicker, which came to be known as the Doctors' Pact. The cultural boycott led by our movement in the 1980s, which dealt a massive blow against the apartheid regime and its racist codes, brought together a broad front of people and organisations against racism in sport nationally and internationally. We will remember the slogan, no normal sport under an abnormal society.
In recent times we have experienced a rise in incidents of racism and racial insults in sports at a global level. Sport is a micro level of broader level. Therefore, these incidents are a manifestation of the racial tensions that persist in all societies throughout the world. South Africa is not immune to this reality.
Nevertheless, South Africans across colour, have demonstrated that sport can be a uniting force and a critical tool towards nation building. We have seen this during the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 Soccer World Cup, both of which took place on our soil in post apartheid South Africa.
Given the above context, we are encouraged by the initiative of the Sexwale Foundation; partnering with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and ourselves, to rid our world - particularly in sport, of racism and discrimination. The ANC officials have been engaged with in this regard. They welcomed the fact that the ANC has been given the opportunity to participate in this campaign.