Team SA at the opening of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
C/o iafrica
National Assembly sport and recreation committee chairman Butana Komphela has again questioned the lack of transformation in South African sport, while the team sent to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi this month was considered “too white” and looked like it “came from Europe”.
Team SA walked away with 33 medals, including 12 gold, in New Delhi, but while the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhenkesi Stofile, was full of praise for the team after the Games, IOL reports that Komphela instead questioned the lack of transformation in the team.
Khompela is well known for his stance on transformation in SA sport. He once went as far as threatening to withhold Springbok players’ passports if the team did not reflect the demographics of the country.
On Tuesday, the Sports and Recreation Department was appearing before the committee to account for its performance for the 2009/10 financial year, but while Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation Gert Oosthuizen made no mention of transformation during his overview, the topic became central to discussions.
Speaking to the committee, Khompela revealed that South Africa’s envoy to India, Harris Mbulelo Majeke, was especially critical of the demographics of the team competing in India.
“The high commissioner said to me ‘that team is too white, make that team come from South Africa’,” said Komphela.
He added: “The team looked like it came from Europe. We are not saying take kids from the streets, but why is there no concentrated effort to transform sport?
“To London (2012 Olympics), send an SA team. The Samoan team looked more South African; ours looked like it’s from the queen,” he said.
Komphela went on to criticise the department for what he called “a conspicuous silence on transformation by the department”, and he was not alone. According to IOL, a number of MPs laid into Oosthuizen on Tuesday over lack of transformation.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, however, said Majeke’s comments were opportunistic and that it was, in fact, the ANC that had failed in transforming South African sport.
“I am not saying transformation means replacing a white person with a black person; it means that there is a need to develop infrastructure,” Holomisa said.
“They (the department) have done nothing. It does not seem as if any training or development of institutions has been implemented. You can ask them for their registers of those players playing at club level, and they will not have it. They have failed dismally.”
Bantu holomisa is my hero.
Tripples, smaak my jy isse political animal?
Ja Biltong – Bantu is also the best winger in Parliament. Sometimes he plays left wing and sometimes on the right wing. But he always scores!
Truth is that at an event like the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and Athletics World Champ’s, if you’re not good enough you can’t go.
Maybe Khompela will have to “doctor” some performance records in future to make the team more “African”.
Hey, why not put the process out to tender? I’m sure the country could find a few million to get it sorted out.
ek sit hier en wonder waneer gaan hulle iets doen aan die sokker span?is die span nie te swart nie?klink vir my na dubbel standaard.laat ek maar liewers niks verder se nie.
Slowly over troubled waters, fellas…. you know the policy of the site very well.
So what you saying is Wp is going to win the Currie cup.
The rest of the world is laughing. You realise how ridiculous this when you live elsewhere. In the rest of the world, its the fastest runners and swimmers, highest and longest jumpers and the shooters with the best records that get the nod….and no one gives a damn about their colour or genetic origins. Komphela is a racist of the worst kind, because he does not even recognise it in himself….he is a disgrace to hard working and hard trying black people who want to improve themselves because he erects barriers where there were none. No one of a colour other than black and most of them too would agree with this guy. He is an idiot.
When will the vitriol stop, this man is just marking time and getting nowhere….in my opinion he is an oxygen thief and the world would be a better place without him. Now you know why guys like Ryk Neethling did his swimming in the USA and why guys like Steven Pienaar play football in the UK, because it is better for them personally to do so. South Africa has so much potential but with idiots like this around….they will never realise it….perhaps someone whould check his bank account and see if he too is stealing stuff that isnt his.
Sorry GBS…I forgot…but then I am a PANDA.
And no WP isnt going to win the cup….but that is JMHO
How do I get to older posts, I want to read the comments on Liaan Kirkham?
10@ 4man:
Go to the Archives, on the Left hand sidebar on the Home Page… or to the Calendar also on the Left Hand Side in the sidebar… click on the date….
@ 4man:
He is one of our elected leaders and therefore upholds government policy.
I rest my case.
@ tight head:
Howzit…are you coming out of retirement yet, we still need a tighthead!
@ grootblousmile:
Thanks man.
I have some good pics of me and Pietman in the Karoo, I will get around to posting them in due course…just busy trying to catch up.
The game this Saturday is too close to call, so I have gone with my heart. I see I have managed to sneak into pole position on Superbru.
I heard first prize was a braai with you and 2nd prize….two braais with you, can I pass the prize onto someone else? 😉
14@ 4man:
Hehehe… yip, give it to somebody deserving…. hehe
@ 4man:
The more I listen to Mr Khompela, the tighter my head gets!!
Have you been in Durban?
@ tight head:
Ja, I was there for 6 days, but my wifes Mom had died 3 weeks before and my wife had been out and back and now out again and had to spend time with her Dad…63 years married when whe passed away. Then I also spent time with my Mom. I stayed with my lifelong mate in Queensburgh and also had a number of meetings for the travel business…didnt even get into the water, but surfing and diving conditions were both crap. Michael from Sharks rugby organised us some tickets for the NW game and we bought lots of kit for our grand niece and also for my cousins in Estcourt who have just had another addition to the family. True to our German family traditions, a thing which is supposed to fit a 18 month to 2 year old, was tight on Tomas the laaitie at 4 months….another at least 6 footer and 100 kgs in the making.
Had one night out at Flordia road, Butcher boys where I had the lamb chops…ek het my vingers amper afgeeet.
I think Keegan Daniel should become a centre….does anyone agree with me?
@ 4man:
Just whisper that in Muirs ear , he might sort it out for you.
@ superBul:
HA HA HA HA HA….Super you musn’t give in to cynicism. My reasoning is he is too light to be a SA loosie long term and if he want to be a Bok, perhaps he should shift.
Are you still going to send me that info on your new Game |Lodge?
@ 4man:
Sorry to hear about the death in the family.
As you will remember the wind blows from both West and East a lot during October and makes for bad conditions.
Yes, old Lazzie at Butcher Boys sure knows how to put a piece of meat on a plate!!
@ 4man:
Yis man i must get that woman to answer me , she is so busy , there is another great one , i must make work of it.
@ tight head:
And then being in the Karoo for the last week of my stay (literally last week) chowing Springbok and Kudu filet, lamb chops and roast. You forget how much red meat Saffas can eat. These days I try and cut down a bit and in the UK its not too hard. The only decent beef we get is from Holland and the mutton is indifferent. I refuse to buy new Zeland mutton, I think it is lousy….anyway, just personal tastes I suppose, I also dont like the nzambaans here, they taste weird, but the veg and pork is fantastic.
ek hoop maar wp wen saterdag,dit sal die pyn van die super 14 final bietjie verlig.
@ Piet visagie:
Kry maar vir jou iets sterk vir die senuwees, Craig Jouba gaan julle roer eksien klaar hy is vol truuks.
hy was in beheer met die final,maar die stormers het verdien om te verloor.ek het my klaar n bottel gekoop net vir ingeval
@ 4man:
Hi 4man I posted a longish reply your question but when I pressed the send button it disappeared into a black hole in cyberspace, basically agree with you on Daniel maybe trying out at centre.
Thanks ouens for turning this political and non-rugby article into a rugby discussion.
het die sharks gewerk aan hulle scrums want op nuweland is hulle bok voorry erg pak gegee.dink julle die wp cheat in die voorry met slingshot soos onlangs in deur n afrigter beweer is
28@ fender:
We have good people here, I expected no less.
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