Memories
I remember the 1970 All Black tour. I was just a laaitie, 7 odd years old, and my memories has me, my dad and my brother in it, listening to Gerhard Viviers' commentary on the Afrikaans radio station. We bought a long playing record of his commentary of one of the test matches later. I remember Sid Nomis' try: "Siddie! Siddie! En hy druk hom!" You go listen, those are the exact words Gerhard used - I still remember them from that time. Both my dad and my boet are gone now. Sometimes I miss them so much. But I have these memories with them, and dudes wearing a Bok on a green and gold jersey on it.
Now these guys want to take the Bok away. And I don't like it, because they are messing with the memories.
At the same time, I read just now that there were already protests going on in 1970. So there are different memories about these same events, and I acknowledge that those may be memories people want to exorcise.
I didn't know about those protests at the time. I was a white boy living in a safe world, with Frik du Preez, (Vat Hom) Dawie de Villiers, Sid Going & Bryan Williams (How we feared him) duking it out on the field. Interestingly "Until 1970, of course, players of Williams' ethnic background had been barred from touring South Africa because of firstly the colour bar and then by law because of the apartheid system. Williams thus had an important part in history as one of the first players to demonstrate on the field both the injustice and stupidity of apartheid". (http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=954).
Anyway. I thought we have moved on, done the (truth and) reconciliation thing. The Springbok emblem question: Asked and answered - ask Madiba if you've forgotten. "The ANC would like to state categorically that it would not like to see any replacement or change of the Springbok emblem until sufficient debate and consultation of all stakeholders, including rugby supporters, has taken place," said African National Congress spokeswoman Jessie Duarte.
"We would also like to encourage our world-acclaimed sportsmen to continue winning more world cups for South Africa and not be detracted by debates on the future of the Springbok emblem."
Yet now we have Butana Komphela from the ANC questioning ANC policy. Komphela is quoted in the same news report as Duarte above as saying: "Minister, I want you to observe the arrogance of white people on the Springbok emblem." (Bit of racism here, I think...?). He continued that there could be "no negotiation" on replacing the Springbok emblem.
This departure of Komphela's from the official ANC position is strange, because when Mosiuoa Lekota criticises ANC policy, he gets suspended from the ANC. I clearly don't understand politics.
In this New. Improved. South Africa, everybody is making compromises. I get discriminated against on the basis of my skin colour, to rectify the injustices of the past. Never mind that I have never worked at an employer where there wasn't some sort of affirmative action going on. But that's OK, I'll accept that in the interest of nation building. But what compromise is Mr Komphela making, given that his previously disadvantaged status have earned him a place in parliament, while I'm still just earning my daily bread by hard work. Like before...
Maybe we can let the Springbok be. The emblem is not the problem. If rugby is run by Dutchmen, and we change the emblem, it will still be run by Dutchmen. Which is hard to explain, because these officials are elected democratically, aren't they? That means by majority. Which might indicate that the majority of voters for these officials are also Dutchmen. Which means that there are more Dutchmen involved in rugby. Which means that a representative management structure would logically have a majority Dutchmen. Which shouldn't, and imho doesn't, make a difference, because our team are the world rugby champs. A team, btw, with Brian Habana as probably the star player in it. Not because he is black, but because he is good. Which is the way teams should be selected.
Enough
Now these guys want to take the Bok away. And I don't like it, because they are messing with the memories.
At the same time, I read just now that there were already protests going on in 1970. So there are different memories about these same events, and I acknowledge that those may be memories people want to exorcise.
I didn't know about those protests at the time. I was a white boy living in a safe world, with Frik du Preez, (Vat Hom) Dawie de Villiers, Sid Going & Bryan Williams (How we feared him) duking it out on the field. Interestingly "Until 1970, of course, players of Williams' ethnic background had been barred from touring South Africa because of firstly the colour bar and then by law because of the apartheid system. Williams thus had an important part in history as one of the first players to demonstrate on the field both the injustice and stupidity of apartheid". (http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=954).
Anyway. I thought we have moved on, done the (truth and) reconciliation thing. The Springbok emblem question: Asked and answered - ask Madiba if you've forgotten. "The ANC would like to state categorically that it would not like to see any replacement or change of the Springbok emblem until sufficient debate and consultation of all stakeholders, including rugby supporters, has taken place," said African National Congress spokeswoman Jessie Duarte.
"We would also like to encourage our world-acclaimed sportsmen to continue winning more world cups for South Africa and not be detracted by debates on the future of the Springbok emblem."
Yet now we have Butana Komphela from the ANC questioning ANC policy. Komphela is quoted in the same news report as Duarte above as saying: "Minister, I want you to observe the arrogance of white people on the Springbok emblem." (Bit of racism here, I think...?). He continued that there could be "no negotiation" on replacing the Springbok emblem.
This departure of Komphela's from the official ANC position is strange, because when Mosiuoa Lekota criticises ANC policy, he gets suspended from the ANC. I clearly don't understand politics.
In this New. Improved. South Africa, everybody is making compromises. I get discriminated against on the basis of my skin colour, to rectify the injustices of the past. Never mind that I have never worked at an employer where there wasn't some sort of affirmative action going on. But that's OK, I'll accept that in the interest of nation building. But what compromise is Mr Komphela making, given that his previously disadvantaged status have earned him a place in parliament, while I'm still just earning my daily bread by hard work. Like before...
Maybe we can let the Springbok be. The emblem is not the problem. If rugby is run by Dutchmen, and we change the emblem, it will still be run by Dutchmen. Which is hard to explain, because these officials are elected democratically, aren't they? That means by majority. Which might indicate that the majority of voters for these officials are also Dutchmen. Which means that there are more Dutchmen involved in rugby. Which means that a representative management structure would logically have a majority Dutchmen. Which shouldn't, and imho doesn't, make a difference, because our team are the world rugby champs. A team, btw, with Brian Habana as probably the star player in it. Not because he is black, but because he is good. Which is the way teams should be selected.
Enough
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