Mbalula’s quota plan draws mixed reaction
Sport club chairmen and captains of Boksburg, have mixed views regarding Sport and Recreation minister Fikile Mbalula’s recent threat to withdraw national teams from competing internationally.
The minister said athletics, cricket, football, netball and rugby are falling behind with transformation and development.
He wants to see 60 per cent black representation in teams and warned of severe consequences should any resistance be shown to these measures.
Sean Scheepers, the chairman of the Boksburg Rugby Club, said the club have been in support of the inclusion of players of colour before Mbalula’s comment.
“We’ve been made to comply to five black players in the Community Cup this year, and we’re supporting it. We’re encouraging it because that’s where our country is going.
“The number of black players that each team must have in the Community Cup will increase every year, and I believe that increasing the number gradually will be good for the players coming in, because they’ll need time to be trained and readied for professional rugby.
“We’ve also started a woman’s team, which includes a number of women of colour. We try and do as much as we can.”
Len Meyer, the captain of the Boksburg Cricket Club, described the threat from Mbalula as yet another example of politics interfering in sport.
“Look, I don’t think politics belong to sport,” says the skipper.
“If you’re good enough you’ll be played, if not, you shouldn’t be played; it’s a simple sum really,” concludes Meyer.
Shaun Chaplin, the chairman of the Boksburg Football Club (BFC), says soccer has always prided itself of equal representation of players.
“I think soccer is part of the minister’s measures. I think we’ve always had a balanced representation compared to other sports.”
BFC captain, Mario Maia, said players should be selected on merit as opposed to filling a quota system.
“The best players should be selected to play, especially on national level, regardless of the kind of sport they play and their race; if you’re good enough, you should be picked.
“Different races are good in different sports. If Afrikaans guys are good in rugby, then they should play for the Boks.
“Soccer is predominantly played by black guys in the country, but nothing really is being said about that.
“Look at the American basketball 2012 Olympic winning team – most of those guys are black, and they’re the best in the world. You can’t put in a short white guy in that team; it wouldn’t make sense now would it.”
