‘All lives should matter’, says Springbok icon Kobus Wiese

Though he admits he is hesitant to involve himself in discussions around the Black Lives Matter movement, former Springbok lock Kobus Wiese has joined a small group of retired South African sport stars who have shown support for the fringe All Lives Matter (ALM) stance.

“I am normally not one who wants to get drawn into heated topics like that, but I still believe all lives should matter,” Wiese said in an interview.

The BLM movement had received the support of a long list of current and former players and coaches in various codes in recent weeks, while some national federations had begun to reassess their transformation strategies in the midst of a countrywide outcry, with black athletes claiming they still felt marginalised 30 years after unity.

However, the likes of former Proteas spin bowler Pat Symcox and retired Bafana Bafana star Mark Fish had criticised BLM, voicing their support of the ALM slogan.

“All lives matter,” another former Proteas cricketer, Boeta Dippenaar wrote in a comments thread on facebook after fast bowler Lungi Ngidi voiced his support for BLM.

“If you want me to stand shoulder to shoulder with you Lungi, then stand shoulder to shoulder with me with regards to farm attacks.”

Wiese, who formed part of the victorious Springbok team at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, was the latest local sporting icon to promote the ALM stand.

He felt BLM threatened to cause division in SA sport.

“All people should be treated equally and respected as individuals,” said Wiese, a respected rugby analyst and commentator.

“A more burning issue is the current state of our economy. People are suffering a great deal and something urgently should be done about it or the situation might deteriorate even further.”

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