Sport minister’s plan to punish rugby and cricket over insufficient transformation is ill-considered and racist

26 April 201

Sport minister Fikile Mbalula’s decision that the South African Rugby Union (SARU), Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Athletics South Africa (ASA) may not host international tournaments due to a lack of transformation, is totally out of order and ill-considered, Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on sport, said.

Adv. Alberts says Mbalula’s naked racism clearly shows up the fact that he is satisfied with the national soccer team, a team who more often than not runs onto the fiend without or with only one white player in the team.

In the last year’s team there had for a long time been only one white and two brown players in the first team group of 27, and not everyone got a chance to lay on a regular basis.

He said it is also illegal in terms of international sport bodies’ rules which prohibits political interference.

“The Freedom Front Plus brought this issue to the attention of international embassies in South Africa last year. The party will now without delay once again contact these embassies, and will also direct a request to the international sporting bodies that they express their opposition to this step of the minister.

“The FF Plus will also, in particular, write to the Irish Rugby Board with the request to sue the ANC government if the Irish tour should be threatened.

“It is time that the whole of South Africa unites over this ill-considered and senseless actions of the ANC and in this case, its minister of sport. Has the minister ever considered whether rugby is as popular a sport amongst black people as soccer?

“The ANC is trying to direct and manage every person’s life in this country through legislation. You cannot force a person to like a sport which is not in his/her blood.

“It is also clear that the minister did not give any consideration to the lives and careers of many sport men and women who will be affected by this. There are sponsorships worth millions of rand involved in sport, international broadcasting rights and much more.

“In addition, weakened teams with forced racial targets will leave stadiums empty and ensure an early death for the relevant types of sport.

“The minister and the ANC should take note of the fact that South Africa, which is now the most corrupt country in Africa, is no longer the world’s darling child that will get its way with everything. Once South Africa is kicked out of the international sport arena, it will not be that easy to be allowed back in again,” Adv. Alberts said.

Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson: Sport, 26 April 2016