Cape Town - “I’m not going to be stuck around numbers, because transformation comes from within you first as a person, how you think about something. To transform your thought processes. Transformation of the heart.
“I believe everybody should get an opportunity in this country, whether they are young and white, young and black, young and coloured or young and Indian. If you deserve an opportunity, you must get an opportunity.”
These are the words of new Springbok coach Allister Coetzee, which is part of a Q&A I did.
Incidentally, my interview with Coetzee took place at the same time as sports minister Fikile Mbulala’s announcement in which he banned four of South Africa’s sports federations from hosting or bidding for any international sporting events because they had missed transformation targets.
We all know Mbalula is a bit of a populist, and we definitely have to question the timing of the sudden tough stance on the transformation, especially with local government elections looming. But he is right when he says sports federations have not delivered on their promises to create opportunities for black athletes, or even given them a fair chance to cement their place in teams.
My colleague Ashfak Mohamed wrote a brilliant column this week highlighting examples of this – white sports stars receiving extended chances to prove their worth, while their black counterparts have to perform without that safety net.
He cited the example of the Proteas keeping faith with Jacques Kallis after averaging less than 10 runs at the start of his Test career, while Hashim Amla was sent back to work on his game after just one series.
He asked why SA Rugby’s bosses let Heyneke Meyer get away with playing Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jesse Kriel out of position ahead of black players such as Siya Kolisi and Lwazi Mvovo. How did Elton Jantjies not make the Springbok team last year after stellar performances in Super Rugby?
This year, in Super Rugby, it also took the Sharks until the halfway mark of the competition to give flyhalf Garth April a start, despite performing well during their pre-season matches.
The biggest injustice is the belief that black sportsmen and women are inferior to their white counterparts. For me, this is the worst of legacy of apartheid, because it’s prevalent in our society as well. But, inadvertently, it’s being perpetuated by sports administrators having allowed this to happen. Contrary to popular belief, black people have been playing sport for as long as white people have enjoyed it. But it seems like white people still feel sport belongs to them.
There have been so many examples of black excellence on the sports field of this beautiful country, but unfortunately it always seems they have to work and perform twice as hard for people to believe in them.
When Coetzee was coach of the Stormers, they had the best transformation record of any South African coach in Super Rugby. But they were also the best South African team, dispelling the notion winning and transformation are not mutually exclusive. It’s clearCoetzee is one of the few sports coaches around the country who grasps the real concept of transformation. And if you think he is only paying lip service to please people because he just became the new Bok coach, here are a few quotes from his last press conference as Stormers coach in May last year.
“People can say I’m an ANC coach or whatever, but I know what the right thing is,” Coetzee said.
“I will always pick a team on merit, but will do it in a way that all South Africans, not just Cape Town, are proud of Western Province and the Stormers.
“The history and the culture of Western Province are so deeply entrenched. Poor people, you see them on the R300 (highway) walking with an old Province jersey, which just shows me it’s about inspiring people and giving hope to people. Outside the rugby, that was my main objective, for people to go out there on Saturday and be inspired by a team from all walks of life. A team selected on merit; a team people can relate to.
“I’m really proud of that, and young coaches, and especially coaches of colour, can draw heart from that.”
If more people in South Africa, not only in the sporting fraternity, can think about transformation like Coetzee does, the Rainbow Nation would ultimately become a place where kids from all walks of life are given an opportunity to express themselves and thrive.
Whatever you think of Mbalula or his agendas, sports federations in this country needed wake-up call, a splash of ice water in the face.
They can do all the bragging about all the work they do at grassroots level, but the numbers show players aren’t being given a chance at the highest level.
The great Sacos slogan was “no normal sport in an abnormal society”. Unfortunately, after more than two decades of unity, most black sports still don’t really know what “normal sport” is. Hopefully Coetzee can show everybody how it’s done later this year.
*Goliath is the Weekend Argus’s rugby writer
Weekend Argus