By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Nathi Mthethwa praised Cricket SA for the Social Justice and Nation building initiative, saying he would like to see it replicated by other sporting codes.
The SJN, under the guidance of transformation ombudsman, Adv. Dumisa Ntsebeza has heard heartbreaking and controversial testimony from a number of former players and officials, outlining discrimination in cricket and how isolated many black players felt when they represented the Proteas.
“I wish to commend Cricket SA on their foresight to provide a platform for a frank and groundbreaking examination of the sport, “said Mthethwa. “This initiative will no doubt embolden the leadership of other national federations to consider similar attempts at self correction.”
“People have been raising issues of capable individuals just wanting a chance,” Mthethwa continued.
“The hearings have shown us that what is happening in cricket is not only a reflection of the happenings in other federations, but they in turn are a reflection of society itself. Sport is a microcosm of what we see broadly in society. As we tackle this matter, it is not confined to sport, sport is but a part of the whole, if you are talking about a socially coherent society.”
Asked by Ntsebeza for his view on the elimination of quotas, with many, including at the SJN this week, AfriForum, arguing that there should be natural progression and selection, Mthethwa said those arguments were flawed.
The same people saying that, have not produced any ounce of evidence that the people who came based on quota, are there simply on that basis – that they have no merit, no capacity. In fact they were suppressed.”
Mthethwa added that the government couldn’t simply play the role of observer and drew on how the country reached its first democratice elections to illustrate his point. “That argument would suggest that the country reached April 1994 on auto pilot. There was a struggle to reach 1994, and the struggle continues in order for us to normalise.”
“The abnormality in sport today cannot be left alone. Because what they are saying is ‘leave us alone,’ but then you go to the international platform and you get teams and individuals, who have no resemblance of the demographics of the country and you just go, ‘get out, leave it like that.’
Meanwhile Ombudsman of the SJN hearings, Adv. Ntsebeza, has stated that “those who were adversely mentioned during the course of the hearings” can formally respond to allegations.
The deadline for those submissions is August 18, the statement continued.
“The Office of the Transformation Ombudsman is currently in the process of notifying those who have been adversely mentioned during the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings.”
Ntsebeza has been clear that he wanted those mentioned at the hearings to respond to allegations. Only the Proteas head coach, Mark Boucher has come out publicly to state he would be co-operating with the SJN.
Ntsebeza explained why he felt this needed to happen.
“This process has awakened all of us to the realisation that to heal, we need to confront the past, however painful the journey.”
“We should however be mindful that those who are alleged to have inflicted pain or wronged others, also have an equal right to be heard. These are the necessary pillars that should drive the healing process we envisage.”
The SJN hearings will resume on Monday, 23 August, to allow parties who wish to respond to allegations made against them an opportunity to testify before the Transformation Ombudsman.