THOBANI ZIKALALA
As we celebrate the victory of the national rugby team, the Springboks, at the 2023 IRB World Cup in France, themes such as “unity”, and “social cohesion” are coming out, and this demands the nation to truly reflect on these themes.
The rainbow nation euphoria engulfs the country again as it did maybe for the first time in 1995. There is an increased sense of belief in the idea of a nation united in diversity as the country's motto says, indeed we are a nation alive with possibilities.
To heal the wounds of the past and maybe present to build a united prosperous nation. I do not intend to dim the lights on the Springboks or extinguish the fires of a lekker braai and dop, but there is a need to look beyond the rainbow and into the horizon. To check how far we are from that distant dream of a truly united society.
While we cannot burden Siya Kolisi with such a responsibility, but as the late Nelson Mandela said, sports can be used as a tool to unite the nation, it then becomes incumbent upon us as a nation to really ponder upon such questions. This must be done with absolute honesty and being cognisant of the prevailing social reality. We must also look at how far we have gone since the 1995 victory.
Steve Biko instructs us to ask real questions to get real answers. The Springboks are not politicians and do not have the responsibility to change the prevailing social reality, but they can be used by the powers that be, to mask the reality of our society.
The social divisions and inequalities are real and concrete. We do not perceive or assume the material conditions of the South African society, (but) we lie with them every day. So instead of using sports as opium, we must confront this reality with the necessary political will.
Rugby as a sport and the success of Springboks can be a catalyst to begin to enact social changes in South Africa. We can begin to look at the profile of all the Springboks, their background, upbringing and the schooling they went through and ask ourselves how we ensure the same possibilities for all people and children of South Africa.
Siya Kolisi born in Zwide township in Gqeberha can be used as a symbol to inspire real social changes. How do we as a nation ensure that places like Zwide are able to produce more of such sports stars? How do we cultivate environments for all young South Africans that enable them to realise their true potential?
Can we ensure that children of Zwide, KwaMashu and Libode are able in their backyards to access good sporting facilities that enable them to develop into outstanding sportspeople? We must begin to think in that direction as a people so that children can see such heroes in their own backyards.
Talented young people should not have to lie at home to access quality education institutions that can ensure their total development and harness their talents and unleash their full potential.
After almost 30 years since democracy and the first World Cup victory by the Springboks, most children have never seen a rugby field in the places they live. We have as a country a blueprint of how to create the thousands of Siya Kolisis.
Makazole Mapimpi remains an exception and not a rule, for he is the only one who has not gone through the route of prestigious schools like Grey High School and others. So what does this say.
Children of Mdantsane, if they are to stand a real chance of playing rugby at a high level, must leave the township and what happens when they do not have a scholarship to study at Grey at schools like it? Does that mean that such talents do not stand a chance and may as well be lost to the different social ills that face the youth of South Africa?
Rugby, with all the measures put in place like the quota system, still almost remains a lily-white sport with traces of blacks who went to prestigious rugby schools.
This is because we do not have a comprehensive rugby development plan that will reach even the most far-flung areas of South Africa. Yes, rugby is not the only sport that is like that, but we focus on it as it is the one in the limelight.
This reality is true for many sports in this country. This is largely because while we speak about the dream of Mandela and Tutu of Rainbow Nation, we simply pay lip service to it and have we really committed the resources and necessary politics to make it a reality?
Some will say but what about football? While there is a lot that can be done to develop football to really make South Africa a truly competitive football nation, there are very few barriers to entry into football. Football does not have a history of a particular people being denied access to it. The same comprehensive development plan can be demanded from our rugby administrators.
So, while we are in euphoria, we must also give serious thought to our social reality with all its disparities. While it is not the fault of the Springboks that there is such a huge social divide between Sandton and Alexandra, it is certainly also not their responsibility deal with it.
Springboks are simply rugby players but if their victory is going to be used in connection with sociopolitical phenomena as social cohesion, then those who do that carry the responsibility to ensure that such is a reality and not an abstract catchphrase.
The truth is that South Africa is not a united, cohesive society. The social realities and unamended social relations are a testament to that fact. This is a call out to the political administrators to really commit to changing the lives of South Africans to ensure that we are a nation united in its diversity and truly alive with possibilities.
Thobani Zikalala is an independent political commentator.
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