Reporting by Lindsay Dentlinger, Darryn Pollock, Zainul Dawood and Lee Rondganger
Durban - Durban fans can breathe easier. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s ban on the hosting of international events will not affect the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the city.
That’s according to city manager S'bu Sithole, who on Tuesday told the Daily News that this was because the games were the result of a joint bid by national, provincial and city governments.
“There was a collective decision on that matter and I do not believe that his (Mbalula) decision will have any impact on Durban hosting the Commonwealth Games. It is on track to go ahead,” he said.
The South African Rugby Union (Saru) was also optimistic that Mbalula’s sanction would not affect their bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, while Cricket South Africa (CSA) did not see the move have any effect on fixtures already planned, including international matches in Durban in August and October.
However two of the country’s former cricket greats, Jacques Kallis and Allan Donald have reacted angrily to the ban, taking to Twitter to condemn the mixing of sport and politics.
This was after Mbalula dropped a bombshell on the country’s four major sporting federations on Monday, revoking the privileges of Athletics South Africa (ASA), CSA, Netball South Africa (NSA) and Saru, to host or bid to stage any major international events in the country, because of their failure to meet their transformation targets.
SA Rugby chief executive, Jurie Roux, said Mbalula’s announcement would not affect current international events such as the Vodacom Super Rugby, the Springboks’ Castle Lager Incoming Test Series or Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test programme, or the HSBC Cape Town Sevens.
Meanwhile, bidding for the 2023 Rugby World Cup starts next month.
Of the five major sporting federations, Mbalula said only the South African Football Association (Safa) had met its transformation targets.
The minister, however, said he was unhappy about the poor drive to roll out football in former Model C and private schools.
The president and chief executive of Cricket SA are both in Dubai for the ICC meetings, which started on Monday.
But Altaaf Kazi, spokesman for Cricket South Africa, on Monday said they had sought clarity from the Department of Sport and Recreation and were told that no bilateral tours would be affected, these included the August Test series against New Zealand and the one-day internationals against Australia in October.
Cricket SA also confirmed the U19 World Cup and the Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2022 had already been allocated, so would not be affected.
Responding to Monday's announcement, former South African fast bowler, Donald tweeted: “Rugby, Cricket and Netball banned says minister of sports! Fantastic lets sanction ourselves shall We!!”
Kallis also let fly with a bouncer on Twitter: “So sad that i find myself embarrassed to call myself a South African so often these days #no place for politics in sport.”
Tweeting early on Tuesday in Zulu, Mbalula said the “haters of transformation stood no chance”.
“Washa washa washa! To all haters of transformation Ngeke nilunge bafana bam (you stand no chance), Ang’siyi takalani Mina (I am not a small boy),” he said.
NSA said it needed more time to study the implications of the sanction before responding. The participation of athletes at international events would, however, not be affected, ASA said.
ASA said on its official website that it would be engaging with Mbalula, but until then had no further comment to make.
Mbalula’s decision, which is effective immediately, is based on the findings of the third Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Transformation in Sport for 2014/15. It will be reviewed when he considers the results of the 2016/2017 Transformation Barometer.
Cricket SA said all major ICC events up to 2023 did not affect South Africa, since they were awarded to India, Australia or England. South Africa is, however, due to host an Under-19 World Cup and a Women’s ICC qualifier, but these are both at least four years away.
Mbalula said transformation in the sports was “the right thing to do” considering the grave injustices of the past.
Eighty-four percent of the country’s under 18-year-old population was black African and only 16% was white, coloured and Indian.
“To ignore this strategic reality from a sustainability perspective alone would be suicidal. Thus, the reasons for sport organisations to transform rapidly have not only become compelling, they have become fundamental,” Mbalula said.
The EPG scrutinised 19 sport federations, of which the “Big Five” of rugby, football, cricket, netball and athletics had provided data to the EPG Secretariat. The five federations then, out of their own volition, signed Memoranda of Agreements (MoAs) with the Department of Sport and Recreation in 2015.
Mbalula said the failure by the respective major sporting federations to meet their own transformation targets had paved the way for him to implement punitive measures.
Daily News