GARETH VAN ONSELEN'S LIES ABOUT MINISTER OF SPORTS AND RECREATION

Lies that go unchallenged in society tend to go on and be interpreted as the truth. Gareth Van Onselen and Gareth Cliff are the Hitler's Joseph Goebbels of today who spread lies hoping no one challenge them and let people see them for what they really are, opportunists who take unfair advantage of events to project themselves as relevant. 

Gareth Cliff has been making insensitive tweets on Senzo's funeral. As if that was not enough, another Gareth, just comes out and attacks the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Minister Fikile Mbalula on the recent death of Tinus Linee. 

On Business Day live Gareth Van Onselen has made a name for himself by hogging on headlines attacking government leaders trying to render himself relevant (see here).

In his article, he concludes that the Minister used the death of both Meyiwa and Linee for political milage. It is amusing to read that Van Onselen thinks he is in a moral high ground that qualifies him to see fault when the Minister is exercising his executive responsibility. Gareth has been rejected by his own political party the Democratic Alliance of which he says every time he writes "Most people in the party (DA) simply roll their eyes when they hear his name" 

Its true, I could not help but to roll my eyes when I saw his article on Business Day on which he writes nonsense defending Gareth Cliff, its obvious they not only share the same name but the same skewed thinking. 

It is surprising however that a so called "journalist" who worked for a political party seems to be confused as to what a State funeral is and who qualifies to get it.

Both Gareth's are opposed to Senzo Meyiwa getting a "state funeral" when in fact he got a provincial one which is totally different to the state funeral in processes followed and honours granted. 

The South African government differentiates these funeral into three categories. 

The State Funeral of which many including the two Gareths mistake Senzo to have been afforded is for Presidents, former Presidents, and their deputies and acting presidents. More to this, persons of "extra-ordinary credentials specifically designated by the President of the Republic of South Africa" are added to this category. 

The second category; "Official Funerals" is for serving Ministers, National Assembly Speakers, Chief Justice the republic, chairpersons of NCOP and premiers of the provinces. Again persons designated specially by the president are also afforded an official funeral.

The last category of which Senzo Meyiwa was afforded is the Provincial funeral. Provincial funerals are afforded to speakers of the provincial legislatures and executive councils. 

Here, on the request of provincial premiers, the president can designate a "provincial funeral" to persons who have contributed immensely to nation building and the development of South Africa. This was the case for Senzo Meyiwa and Mulaudzi. 

As seen before, television Presenters, Musicians, Academics and Activists who have had an impact in the affairs of the state have been afforded this kind of funeral. You can count amongst others Brenda Fassie whose funeral was attended by President Thabo Mbeki, Vuyo Mbuli and antiapartheid activists from the different political parties including the Democratic Alliance. With the recent one being Stellenbosch University Rector, Professor Russel Botma.

Its unfortunate that both Gareth's have seemingly forgotten this because they argue Senzo was a first non political person to get a provincial funeral.

They are suffering from some kind of amnesia and they have reduced their memories to that of rats. 

Senzo was a Captain of our national team Bafana Bafana. In his few games as a Captain and a Goal keeper of Bafana Bafana he excelled, and gave hope to a nation that was hopeless about its national team.

Understanding the role sport plays in social cohesion and national building, Senzo was in a position to do that, and he did an excellent job. He deserved the Provincial funeral for inspiring confidence and contributed further to deepening social cohesion which sport sorts to achieve. 

Nelson Mandela understood this when he gave Mulaudzi a call after he brought home a gold medal thanking him for uniting this country. Both these athletes deserved their accolades. 

Now, the other Gareth from Business Day brings in a new argument. He says the Minister did not afford Tinus Linee, former Springbok player and Western Province centre rugby player a provincial funeral.

Gareth must be reminded that it has to be the premier of Western Cape, Helen Zille who requests a provincial funeral from the president. On consultation with the family of Tinus and the Department of Sport and Recreation. 

The minister of sport does not request provincial funeral from the president nor does he influence the processes to afford one its the Premier who must exercise his duties and motivate to the President why a person must be afforded such funeral.

To prove this, the Presidency responded to Media question on 7 Nov/Friday a day before Tinus funeral that the Western Cape premier did not put a request to the president. The President then was not going to impose such a funeral on theWestern Cape. 

Gareth goes on to insult the Minister accusing him of using the death of Linee to position himself in society. 

If Gareth had bothered himself to ask the Department of Sport or do some research like a good journalist that he thinks he is, he would have known that Tinus Linee was bedridden for a long period before he succumbed to the decease. The Minister visited Linee on several occasion to check on his health status. He never sent anyone to do the job, he took it upon himself that whenever he got a break from his parliamentary duties, he took time to visit Linee and his family. 

To the presence of the Media in one of the visits, Die Burger newspaper took a video and posted it on You Tube. Gareth lies to set his biased agenda and says its the Minister or the Ministry who took this decision when in fact it was journalists who took it upon themselves to be with the minister on his visit. 

Had Gareth bothered himself like other journalists, he would have seen the relationship Minister has with the family of Tinus and that it was not his first visit on the day the video was taken. 

On the occasion of the deaths of the three athletes, Senzo, Phindile and Mulaudzi the Minister again cleared his schedules and visited their families, attending their memorial services and because their funerals were on the same day, he attended one. 

Its not Minister's fault however that Senzo attracted more media attentions when compared to others. The coverage of Senzo does not lesson the efforts the government did for the other athletes. 

Minister Mbalula continues to support families of fallen sport heroes. He will and must continue to do so because we voted for him to exactly that, to care. 

Gareth must be reminded again that Minister Fikile Mbalula has been active in the politics and leadership of this country for a while now and that did not happen because people died and he gained political millages using their names.

As he correctly mentioned in his article, the Minister serves as an MP of the African National Congress as number 6 on its parliamentary list. This goes to show the confidence the people of South Africa has on him. Same can not be said about Van Onselen who has been been rejected by his own party. 

Sello More is media spokesperson for the Minister of Sports and Recreation

http://www.srsa.gov.za/    

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