Letter to Fikile Mbalula, minister of sport:
I really hope that this open letter finds you well. Mr Minister, I have never met you in person. The first time I caught a glimpse of you was on my small black-and-white TV powered by a car battery, which I had inherited from my grannies. By then, you were still the ANC Youth League president.
When I was growing up, we used to play soccer and life was tough. We transformed old clothes, plastic bags and shredded tires into soccer balls. Our playing fields were any flattish space which we could find and were mostly dry, weedy and sandy.
Our goalposts were made out of wood. That one invented soccer ball brought happiness to an entire village. We kicked and chased handmade, lopsided balls with skill and abandon, competing for pride and joy.
Recently I heard you saying a 60:40 quota system would be enforced in sports teams both provincially and nationally to promote the inclusion of black players. You even threatened to withdraw government funding to bodies that fail to comply; withdraw national colours to federations holding back, rule that using bidding and hosting regulations to be illegal, deregister anybody who failed to transform and bar sponsorship to anyone hostile to transformation.
You only came to our sprawling townships when you were on your daily business of doing important sport things.
You may not bet aware, Bra Razzmatazz, that in our townships, even in mine here in Emjindini – the only recreational facilities available are those unmaintained soccer fields.
The tennis court wasted away many years ago. They tried to build new ones but we are still waiting for them to be handed over to our community. I can’t remember when last the swimming pool was in a favourable condition. There are no rugby or cricket fields. The Mayoral Cup that was gazetted as compulsory in all municipalities has never been held in Umjindi. So Bra Razzmatazz, when you want to force the implementation of a 60 (blacks):40 (whites) quota system, where do you think the pool of the players will come from?
You have access to state funds “Mbaks”. You have spent R110 million on awards ceremonies in two years. You wasted millions on inviting Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather Jr into the country.
How do you justify such exorbitant fees of bringing these stars to South Africa? A race-based quota system will not contribute to the development of new players.
Show us what has your department has done for youth development of sporting codes in townships and rural schools. This 60:40 is a complete and utter disgrace to South African sport. The teams should be selected on merit, not colour.
