/ 30 June 2005

Stofile says sponsors call the shots in SA rugby

Minister of Sport Makhenkesi Stofile has again accused administrators of failing to implement racial transformation in sporting codes, specifically rugby, a South African Broadcasting Corporation news broadcast reported on Wednesday.

”I have looked at the Saru [SA Rugby Union] Constitution and it is totally ‘deurmekaar’ [confused]. It is not designed to transform anything,” said Stofile.

He said he did not care whether he was labelled a ”reverse racist”.

”You can call us reverse racists, that’s your business. If racism was an imbalanced form of planning and distribution of resources, then I’m very willing to be a reverse racist in order to reverse that imbalance,” he said.

Stofile said it was clear that ”corporate giants” and sponsors were the ones calling the shots in South African rugby.

He said this became clear to him during negotiations with Saru when he tried to get the 14th franchise to be awarded to the Eastern and Southern Cape. He said Saru was almost powerless.

”Yes, they were elected but believe you me, the real direction in sport in this country, and I don’t care who says what, does not come from the elected officials, it comes from sponsors,” Stofile told the SABC. – Sapa