JOHANNESBURG – The Department of Sports and Recreation has said that the transformation charter would not place sports players, who do not deserve it, on national teams and would end stereotypes.
On Wednesday, the department made an application at the Labour Court in Johannesburg – opposing trade union Solidarity’s court action – in support of transformation in sport.
“Solidarity has been one of the people against transformation of our country.
“And we are here to defend that because failure to do that will result in an outcome where the majority of our people in this country are not reflected in the bodies and athletes in sports,” said department spokesman Vuyo Mhaga.
The department said the charter would make South Africans move away from stereotypes that certain sports were for certain races.
Solidarity has argued that the implementation of quotas would exclude worthy players based on their race.
“If you go to cricket, the best cricketer is black. Kagiso Rabada is the best bowler not only in South Africa, but the world, and he’s black.
Labour Court, Braamfontein - Solidarity has taken Minister of Sport 5 Federations to court challenging #TransformationinSport pic.twitter.com/KWg7CmW7JC
— Dep. Sport & Rec (@SPORTandREC_RSA) March 6, 2019
“The Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is black, and is not there because of the colour of his skin.”
Mhaga said transformation gave players of all races the opportunity to show their talents.
“If we did not do and enforce transformation, those kinds of talent and diversity of our country would not be seen.”
Judgment on the matter has been reserved.
84% of all under 18s are black Africans hence our national teams must reflect who we are #TransformationinSport is a must, not an option pic.twitter.com/oVgbzTozdY
— Dep. Sport & Rec (@SPORTandREC_RSA) March 6, 2019