Springboks’ transformation highlights progress, but racial tensions remain in SA – analyst

After their stunning victory at the weekend, the Springboks have once again ignited a national conversation about unity in South Africa.

Captain Siya Kolisi’s remarks about brotherhood and playing for the nation have raised mixed debate about whether the moment reflects a deeper shift towards national unity, or if it’s merely a symbolic escape from the ongoing challenges of race, inequality, and social division in South Africa.

‘Current Springboks the best’

Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, who led the team to victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, believes the current squad is unquestionably South Africa’s best national team.

He praised the Springboks for their broader impact beyond rugby, suggesting the team’s influence extends into social and political spheres.

“The Springboks aren’t just playing rugby, they’re carrying the responsibility of showing and bringing unity. It’s not just about winning games, it’s about representing something bigger. The team’s success has the power to create social cohesion. It’s something positive that we can all strive toward especially as we still see pockets of racial tension in the country,” De Villiers said.

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Strength and diversity

He reflected on how the team represents the strength found in diversity, something which the team has come a long way to embody.

“For too long, we fought against each other over our differences, thinking diversity made us weaker. But now, we understand that being different actually makes us stronger. The Springboks have embraced this and it’s a massive lesson for all South Africans. We can use our differences to make us stronger and better.”

Long-term social cohesion

However, political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast, head of the Center for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution at Nelson Mandela University said that, while many Black South Africans rally behind the Springboks as a source of national pride, it may not be realistic to expect sport to foster long-term social cohesion.

“The Springboks have undergone massive changes, which are a positive development but an artificial narrative exists about sport as a model for unity. The reality is different.

“Racism persists in schools and racial incidents are common, reflecting the broader divisions in the country. At school sports events, you still see white parents on one side and Black parents on the other,” he said.

Sport unifying SA

Breakfast emphasised expecting sport to unify the country is asking too much, citing it would not be able to mask the deeper issue of economic inequality as the true dividing force in SA.

“What really divides us is the lack of economic inclusion. After the games, people return to their separate worlds, where vast inequality reminds us of the deep class divisions in society.

“The unity inspired by the Springboks is short-lived. It’s a fleeting moment because the deeper issues of inequality and poverty remain unresolved. True unity will only come when we bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots,” Breakfast said.

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