/ 4 March 2005

Tony Leon: How ANC is crippling SA sport

Sport in South Africa has fallen victim to African National Congress ”doublethink”, and the contradictions are crippling it, says Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.

In his weekly newsletter, published on the DA’s SA Today website on Friday, he said confusion introduced into local sport by the ruling party is ”reminiscent of the ‘doublethink’ described by George Orwell in his novel 1984”.

”In the same week that United Cricket Board CEO Gerald Majola declared he wants to see seven black players in the team by 2007, Minister of Sport [and Recreation] Makhenkesi Stofile denied the government wanted to introduce racial quotas.

”And so the contradictions that cripple South African sport continue.”

Today, many areas of South African society are dominated by doublethink, and sport is a prime example.

”Winning is losing, the ANC seems to believe. Or, as Minister Stofile so bluntly put it during last month’s State of the Nation debate, we should be willing to ‘sacrifice winning in the name of transformation’.”

Leon said Stofile has been following a lead set by President Thabo Mbeki three years ago, when he stated: ”For two to three years, let’s not mind losing international competitions because we are bringing our people into these teams.”

This sort of doublethink is not only bad for sport, but bad for South Africa’s progress in general as a nation.

”For South Africans, as for millions of people the world over, a great deal of pride and aspiration rests on the success or failure of our national sporting teams.

”Yet South Africa, unlike other countries, is being forced to subjugate the nation’s desire to win to the ANC’s programme of racial transformation.”

Most South Africans will agree sporting heroes such as Makhaya Ntini, Ernie Els, Gcobani Bobo, Ryk Neethling, Breyton Paulse, Hestrie Cloete, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Baby Jake Matlala, among others, are all in ”our” teams. They are ”our” sports stars.

”But for President Mbeki, only black South Africans are ‘our people’. Other South Africans are only ‘our people’ in certain contexts, and under certain conditions.”

Leon said the irony is that black sports stars want to win just as much as other sportsmen and sportswomen do, and are often outspoken on the subject.

He quoted South African cricketer Ntini, who had said: ”I do not believe in mixing politics with sport and I do not see why people still see a problem today. We already all have the same opportunities.

”One thing I do not want is for us to be called affirmative-action players. That’s bad for black players and bad for South African cricket. I want to play first and foremost with good players, the best players, in a winning team.”

The DA leader also quoted a recent remark by Springbok wing Breyton Paulse, who had commented on the ANC’s program of transformation, saying: ”This tokenism is definitely wrong and will create divisions in the team. Supporters are also fed up with it. People are not stupid; they cannot be fooled. You cannot play with reality.

”Getting to the top obviously takes time … What is the point in trying to fast-track the process? I am sure a player only wants to be there on merit, and he will feel uncomfortable if he is just making up the numbers.”

Leon said it is doublethink of the worst kind to assert South Africa can develop the talents of black sportsmen and sportswomen by enforcing racial quotas or targets, or to believe South African sport can survive year upon year of failure at the national level.

”Only the pursuit of excellence will bring success to South African sport and the South African nation,” he said. — Sapa