Durban - The South African Council on Sport (Sacos) will commemorate 50years since it was established with a colloquium in Durban to look at its role in the struggle for liberation and address some of the most pressing contemporary issues in the country.
Sacos was founded 50 years ago at the Vedic Hall, Durban, on March 17, 1973. At that time, Sacos was the only legitimate non-racial sports representative body in SA, having eight sports codes as affiliates.
Former presidents include Norman Naidoo, Hassan Howa, Morgan Naidoo, Frank van der Horst and Joe Ebrahim.
The organisation said: “At time of the formation of Sacos, there was vicious state repression; all political resistance was brutally suppressed. Political organisations - ANC, the Pan African Congress (PAC), SA Communist Party and the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM), were banned.
“The quest for non-racialism and for democracy was an immense challenge. It was in this context that Sacos would come to play an important role in the freedom struggle of SA. Sport would become an important (if not the only) avenue for opposition to apartheid.”
Former Sacos president Van der Horst said Sacos was hosting colloquiums across the country to look at why the organisation was formed but also to highlight the current challenges being faced in the country.
“Sacos was linked to student uprisings, union initiatives and community struggles. It was involved in different elements of the Struggle against Apartheid.
“People identified Sacos as the sports wing of the Struggle for liberation.”
Van der Horst said there were many examples of inequality and injustice in sport - including legendary golfer Papwa Sewgolum receiving the 1965 Natal Open Winner's Trophy outside in the rain - and this angered and galvanised people.
“There was a depth of feeling and depth of ideas around injustice. People do not forget, the memories may fade, but they do not forget.
“Now we have different challenges, and South Africa is the most unequal society in the world, with high inflation, unemployment and food prices, and this hurts the poor the most.
“This is the background of our meetings across the country, to reflect on the important role Sacos played in the Struggle for liberation and the current issues facing the country,” Van der Horst said.
He said other challenges 50 years later also include the redress of the apartheid legacy in sport being barely evident; redistribution of resources is awaited, reconstruction is barely evident, and while discriminatory legislations may have been removed, the legacies of apartheid fester in every facet of society, the votaries and beneficiaries of apartheid continue to thrive.
From the time of its inception in 1973, the primary aim of Sacos was to oppose racial segregation in South African sport. Sacos fought for non-racialism in sport as well as equal access to facilities and resources.
The goal of Sacos was to: “To foster a spirit of goodwill, equality and fraternity among all people, without any discrimination whatsoever on the ground of race, colour or creed and to prevent racial, colour, religious, or political discrimination amongst sportsmen.”
Sacos sought international affiliation for their sports codes to obtain sports sponsorships for development.
Sacos also actively opposed the representation of South Africa internationally by whites only and the apartheid government’s prohibition of integrated sport.
Despite harassment from the apartheid state and little sponsorship from the corporate sector, Sacos was able to co-ordinate sports across the country as per its principles undertaken by committed and energetic members.
Van der Horst said: “Sacos influence grew way beyond its membership of over two million grassroots players because of its close working relationships with trade union, community, civic, student, youth, cultural, religious, educational, women, health, professional and resistance organisations and by acting as an umbrella for different underground freedom fighters.”
By 1988, Sacos had 30 affiliates representing 19 different codes of sport.
Sacos developed into a strong organisation so that by the mid 1980’s, it was established nationally and internationally as the “Sports Wing of the Liberation Movement” and as “the authentic representative of non-racial sport” in South Africa.
Thus, Sacos was recognised internationally by the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, the French Sports Federation with linkages to several Anti-Apartheid Movements in Europe and anti-South African Sports, including the UN Committee against Apartheid Sport.
The sports boycott and non-collaboration was a resounding success both locally and internationally.
The Sacos@50 years event will be held on August 20 at the Sastri College, Durban, from 1.30pm. For more information and to RSVP, contact Bugsy Singh 082 455 4416.