‘We do not use quotas’: Netball SA stand by racial targets

Netball South Africa will not be swayed by outside forces, according to the head of the federation’s board, despite the organisation facing a potential legal battle over its controversial transformation policy.

The netball governing body received widespread criticism after the Sunbirds lost a place in the recent Telkom Netball League final for fielding no white players in their team in the playoffs.

“Rules and regulations are discussed by the council to ensure all players are protected,” NSA president Cecilia Molokwane said in a virtual media conference on Monday.

“If that agreement is not working we will go back to the council and look at how else we can do it.”

While teams could lose points at top-flight domestic competitions for not including at least two black players or white players (as has happened on multiple occasions in recent years) Molokwane insisted NSA was not enforcing quotas.

“Why are we talking quotas? Netball does not have quotas. We have self-set targets, as applied by the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation, in the districts and provinces,” she said.

“So when people say ‘quotas’ I’m amazed, and I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

ALSO READ: OPINION: Racial quotas in South African netball make no sense

Trade union Solidarity had nonetheless threatened legal action against NSA for punishing teams which did not achieve racial targets, claiming the policy was unconstitutional.

Molokwane, however, said any potential rule changes would need to be approved by the federation’s council.

With Malawi having arrived in SA on Monday for a series against the Proteas, and Cape Town preparing to host the 2023 Netball World Cup,

Molokwane said the federation was currently focused on the sport and the players.

“People outside netball think they can threaten us and tell us what to do, but the NSA council will decide what is best for the sport and players in this country.”

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