Ramaphosa pays tribute to SA stars – avoids any mention of Proteas and Bafana

In one of his more upbeat letters to the nation since starting his “From the Desk of the President” blog in September, President Cyril Ramaphosa reflected on his experience of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup with the Springboks in Japan.

“The sight of Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi lifting the cup at the Yokohama Stadium on Saturday filled me with great pride. I could see the undisguised emotion on the face of his father, Fezakele Raymond Kolisi, watching from the stands. There was his son, the first black captain of the Springboks, making history.”

He said Kolisi was born on a day of profound significance in the country, 16 June, immortalised as Youth Day in South Africa after protesting students were massacred in 1976 in Soweto by police after refusing to use Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

“Siya’s captaincy not only epitomises the transformation of a sport that was once racially segregated; it is the power of a dream fulfilled. This is the dream of a young man of humble circumstances to one day wear the green and gold jersey, and of a country that has enabled him to see it realised.

“At a time when South Africa is experiencing profound challenges, we have rallied around the victory in Japan. The outpouring of support for the Springboks on the road to the final once again showed the immense potential of sport to unite us as a people.”

He said that the champion performances of Caster Semenya, Banyana Banyana, Chad le Clos and the Proteas netball team always saw South Africa cheering on the sidelines.

Notably, he left out any mention of the national cricket team, the Proteas, who have never won any World Cup and were recently humbled in the Test series against India. He also avoided bringing up the men’s national soccer side, Bafana Bafana.

“When Caster Semenya crosses the finish line, when Banyana Banyana find the back of the net, when Chad le Clos lifts his gold medal, when our national netball team the Proteas are crowned Africa champions, all of South Africa is cheering on the sidelines. After generations of division, we have become a people with a great sense of national pride.”

He also paid tribute to the Ndlovu Youth Choir.

“We are also united by a shared desire for a country where all can live in peace and comfort, where all have an equal chance to achieve their potential.

“We are united by the vision of a country where the divisions of the past can be overcome, a nation of equality, dignity and respect for human rights. Over the past 25 years, we have been working together to build that nation. And while this is still very much a work in progress, we are firmly on the path to unite, renew and transform our society.

“The spectre of racism, sexism, tribalism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance has on occasion taken root in our society and has blindsided us as we strive towards our national objective of creating a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous and tolerant society.

“But we have always come back, even when we stood at the brink of tipping over. Saturday was a triumphant day as it confirmed what we are, as a nation, firm in its resolve to find unity in its diversity, as exemplified in our national rugby team which is transforming beautifully, being presented to the world with its first black captain.”

He said that South Africa often failed to appreciate “just how far we have come since that iconic moment in 1995 when a South African first held aloft the Rugby World Cup trophy in building a society that offers equal opportunity to all regardless of race, gender or social circumstances”.

He said his attendance last week of a businesswomen’s summit in Johannesburg had left him in awe of the breadth of occupations and ventures the country’s women had entered.

“We had among us shipping company CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, DNA specialists and production company owners.

“We are proud of South Africa and what it has become. But there is much more that we need to do to make this a country where the black child and the white child can attain the heights they always dream of.

“We must do more to foster social cohesion in our society. Our national broadcaster – indeed all broadcasters – should commission more content that reflects the values of tolerance and multiculturalism. Leaders of faith organisations, traditional bodies, political parties, cultural organisations, sports organisations and business bodies should all work together to foster a more inclusive and cohesive society.

“Public sports and recreation facilities must be better resourced, especially in rural areas, so that young men and women who cherish dreams of sporting success attain their goals. The youth should be able to explore and appreciate their history, traditions and languages.”

He said South Africa would not be hosting its second Investment Conference.

“As we welcome over 1,500 investors and business people to explore the many investment opportunities in our country, let us be as united and as determined as we were on Saturday in Japan.”

He quoted Siya Kolisi’s winning words from the weekend: “We can achieve anything if we work together as one.”

(Edited by Charles Cilliers)

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