racism in sport || problems confronting our sport

Problems Confronting Our SportAuthor(s): Morgan NaidooSource: Africa Today, Vol. 17, No. 6, Racism in Sport (Nov. - Dec., 1970), pp. 18-22Published by: Indiana University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4185128 .

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Problems Confronting Our Sport, By Morgan Naidoo

(A paper presented to a Conference of National Sports Organizations held in Durban on Sunday, September 6, 1970.)

INTRODUCTION- South Africa ranks among the leading sports

conscious countries in the world. Its athletes have brought the country fame;

in cricket they regard themselves as the unoffi- cial world champions. They have topped the world at rugby; the country has produced world swimming stars; tennis players have brought South Africa much honor and in golf, the country has earned a name for itself. The list can go on and on.

This is an achievement to be proud of, ex- cept for one thing: South Africa only considers whites for all its sporting events. The overwhelming majority of South Africans are totally ig- nored.

The blacks do not begrudge the whites such sporting achievements. We should have been happy to have shared in the successes of this country. We would have been . . .

But it does not mean a thing to us. We are not recognized as a part of the sporting life of the South African nation. It does not matter to us whether the white South Africans win or lose. In fact, incidents during the recent Kiwi (New Zealand) rugby tour of South Africa, suggest that there are many who would like to see their "home" team lose. This is a sad commentary on a country as beautiful as South Africa.

But why should this be the case? Why should so many in South Africa want to see "their" team lose? In the next few pages I have endeavoured to discuss these matters.

The entire question of sport in South Africa is one of great importance; one of some urgency. We may offer many suggestions (at this conference) but we alone will not be able to achieve much. We need the co-operation of all those who are interested in the future of sport.

The attitude of ". . . we are not prepared to compromise, we are not prepared to negotiate and we are not prepared to make any conces- sions" will have to make way for a more realistic attitude. If this view is not relaxed, then South Africa will continue to be isolated-an action which does not matter one little bit to the black

*These excerpts are from a copy obtained indirectly and are used without the author's permission.

man. We are merely disinterested spectators. (It is certainly difficult to comprehend what white sports administrators mean when they say something to the effect that "non-white sport has been set back 40 years," each time a white sport is thrown out of a world organization).

APARTHEID- Apartheid is a swear word to most South Af-

ricans. In everyday life, it has brought them neither pleasure nor joy. In sport, it has only served to keep them lower down the ladder of progress.

While the present government has much to do with the colour policy in sport, it must be pointed out that the whites in South Africa had tried consistently for many decades to ensure that the blacks did not enjoy international competition. It suited them, too, to let people play in the different racial compartments because it helped to keep the different races apart.

The late Miss Mary Draper, a white South African, had this to say in her book "Sport and Race in South Africa" (published in 1963):

Long before the present government laid down a rigid policy on sport and until as recently as 1959/60 many (if not most) of the official controlling bodies had claus- es in their constitutions restricting mem- bership to persons of white descent. The majority of white sportsmen, like the majority of the electorate of the country, would probably be opposed to inte- grated sport, particularly as most sports involve social mixing to a greater or a lesser extent. Although in the past there have been isolated efforts to cross the colour bar, it seems that these have been exceptions to the general rule. The various conflicting pressures exert- ed upon white controlling bodies have forced upon them the need to compromise and to make accommodations. The formula that has now been accepted by most of them involves the offer to non-white bodies of affiliation with some sort of representation on governing com- mittees-usually on the same basis as a white provincial association. The national bodies have thus remained in effect, white-controlled. Only recently did some white sportsmen and

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to a lesser extent their administrators announce that they would not mind mixed sport. But such declarations, by people who have all along remained so silent on this issue, must be taken with a pinch of salt.

Mr. Jack Cheetham, president of the white cricket organization, said last December, in a vain attempt to save the Springbok tour of Eng- land, that "merit alone would be the determin- inig factor" in the selection of future teams.

But the same Mr. Cheetham, only five days before his now famous "merit alone" announcement, said, in replying to the Cavaliers Cricket Club in England: "After inquiring from the government, any tour by a Cavaliers team which in- cluded non-whites would not be allowed." The South African (White) Cricket Association added that it, too, would not support the tour as none of its affiliated Unions would be allowed to accept official responsibility.

If overseas teams, comprising some blacks, are not accepted by the South African Cricket Association-especially after a New Zealand rugby team with a few blacks is allowed-how then does Mr. Cheetham propose to put into effect his "merit alon.e" policy. Or was it just to hood- wink the M.C.C. before the English took the final decision on the Springbok tour?

I aim convinced that most sports administrators among the whites are not interested in the welfare of black sport. Their aim, as I see it, is to put up a front to the international organization. Once their aims have been achieved (or if they have been thrown out), their sio-called in- terest in our sport is suddenly no more.

Take the case of Mr. Frank Braun. Most of you will recall that immediately after the Inter- national Olympic Commission returned to its headquarters and had presented its report, the South Africans were invited to the 1968 Olympic Games, but South Africa still had to give certain assurances. Mr. Braun went around the country talking to black sports administrators about es- tablishing a joint Committee. He promised us the moon and indicated that further discussions might be necessary. In the meantime, the I.O.C. withdrew the invitation. Since then many of you might have even forgotten what Mr. Braun looks like. We have not seen him since. A nine-man Commission, appointed in Durban early last year, also made some attempts to meet Mr. Braun but there was a complete lack of co-operation. It is obvious that the whites merely want to use us only to pull wool over the eyes of the international sports bodies.

FACILITIES- The lack of suitable facilities, among other

things, is a major problem with which the black sportsman has to contend.

The fact that more attention is paid to white sport than to black sport is borne out by a state- inent made by the Minister of Sport in Septem-

ber, 1967. when he said that the Johannesburg City Council devoted half its budget to non- whites. What the Minister forgot to add was that only 50 percent of the budget went to the blacks, even though the blacks accounted for twice the white population of this city. (Population: Blacks -887,000; Whites-407,000).

Providing half the budget for two-thirds of the citizens and providing the, other half for only one-third the population is certainly not "equal" and therefore the Minister's boast cannot be rec- onciled with a statement by the Prime Minister three months earlier. The Prime Minister told Parliament: " . . . to grant every population group THE SAME FACILITIES in their own areas and among their own people that I grant the whites." An opposition member summed up the position rather aptly when, by way of an interjection, said: "I am sorry, but the Deputy Minister said the facilities for the Bantu in the urban areas should not be too luxurious."

Black golfers do not have a single champion- ship sized course anywhere in the country and whether they can have their annual events de- pends on the charity handed out to our golfers by white golf clubs. For soccer, there is only one decent ground in Durban. The open patches of ground provided by the municipality can hardly be called playing fields.

In Durban, there are no tennis courts, not a single decent athletic track or a suitable venue for indoor sport.

The wvhites, on the other hand, have the Kings Park for rugby; Kingsmead for cricket; first class tennis facilities at West Ridge Park and an excellent athletic and cycling track. Al- though the whites form something like 20 percent of the Durban population, they have the use of a half-a-dozen swimming pools, while the blacks, the 80 percent of them, have just 2-one for In- dians (numbering 263,00 or about 50 percent) and one for the Coloureds.

What meagre facilities are available are subject to police intervention and interference by municipal authorities.

During the South African Soccer League days, much use was made of the Natalspruit ground in Johannesburg but the huge success of black soccer there forced the Johannesburg City Council to thwart the efforts of SASL and once actually had the ground put under lock and key!

During the last few weeks, the Durban City Council prevented some black soccer organizations from using municipal grounds under the pretense that the Council would be violating some law if "mixed" races played on such grounds. However, they have not yet said what law would be transgressed.

In 1962, the Durban Indian Sports Grounds Association and several white players of the Lin- coln City Football Club were prosecuted for playing "mixed" soccer at Curries Fountain. The case was dismissed and although there was talk of

AFRICA TODAY 19



an appeal being lodged, the matter was not pur- sued.

Grounds throughout Natal are being threat- ened if "mixed" games are played on them and this resulted in the Southern Natal Soccer Board taking the bold step of "testing" the law by de- ciding to continue playing, in spite of police warnings. Some weeks have elapsed since the SNSB decision to "invite prosecution," but the authorities have yet to take legal action.

Now a new plan has been devised. The police are instructing municipalities to withdraw the permits which allow sports bodies to play on municipal grounds. This is quite difficult'to un- derstand. If there is a law, as we are led to believe, then why have there not been any prosecu- tions. It would appear that there is no law and in the absence of any laws, those responsible are trying out new methods to stifle the progress of our sport.

THE SEPARATION OF BLACK GROUPS- It is bad enough to separate the blacks from

the whites, but when attempts are made to keep the three black races apart, we are at a coimplete loss. It is indeed quite a ridiculous situation.

A black man is free to marry a Coloured or an Indian or an African woman; all three groups may travel together on the same bus; they work together and drink together but they may not play together. What a strange situation. I believe that this is being done to assist the white sportsmen in this country. And the stony silence of the white sports administrators in this regard is, therefore, not surprising. By keeping us apart, they believe, our forces might be weakened and divided.

There is no doubt that this move is a real threat to our sport. We cannot have international competition (unless, of course, we are prepared to bow to the whims and fancies of the whites) and now we cannot play with any black man with whom we may desire to compete.

We have stayed out of international competitions up to now and have yet produced the D'Oliveiras, the Papwas, the Precious McKenzies, the Steve Mokones and the Jake Ntulis. That, I fear, is the reason why the government would like to keep even the blacks apart in sport.

It is ironic, too, that while the goal of most people in this country has been mixed sport between the blacks and the whites, this would now appear to have gone into the background and the current emphasis is on the new struggle to keep all the blacks together.

AFFILIATION WITH WHITE BODIES- Despite the many overtures, the majority of

our sports bodies have steadfastly refused to accept subservient affiliation with white organizations in the country. I cannot imagine that any right thinking person would want to join the whites at the terms offered.

For example, how can the South African Soccer Federation accept subservient affiliation

to the white body and have only two votes, whil'j each of the white provincial affiliates of FASA also enjoy the same number of votes? And might I mention that this is exactly what the FIFA Commission suggested the SASF do when the Commission visited South Africa.

In terms of the agreement between the South African Bantu Football Association and FASA, drawn up in 1962, SABFA shall not be entitled to amend its Constitution without the consent of the "Top-Level" Committee. While no mention is made in this regard, it is assumed that the whites will have the majority on such a Commit- tee. While three members will come from the white FASA and another three from SABFA, the .chairman will certainly be white-thus giving the white FASA a fourth member and a majority.

RACIAL BLACK SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS- Apart from having in our midst the racial

white sports organizations, we have, too, Indian, Coloured and African groups.

Most of them are splinter groups, having broken away from existing non-racial bodies because they have an axe to grind. Such a new body also gives them a platform all their own and often a senior position in administration, which is not so easily available in a larger group.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT- Many thousands of rand are poured into

white sport every year by government-sponsored organizations and business institutions; we, un- fortunately, do not enjoy similar benefits.

The Department of Sport and Recreation has handed out huge sums for white sport over the past two years. By comparison, black sport has only received crumbs. Assistance to black sport does not compare with the R10,160,000 white sport has received or has been promised in the last three years. This figure does not include the six or eight coaiches that were provided for the national white swimming course in Aliwal North last year or the annual subsidy of R1,500 the white Swim Centre was to have received.

Our sport suffers many disadvantages. About 1966, the Natal Cricket Board of Control asked the Coca Cola Bottling Company for an annual grant of R500.00 for its super league series. In return they were offered a mere R50.00. The Board rejected this outright and had to make up the prize money from its own funds. A year or two later, this soft drink firm agreed to spon- sor the competition to the required value.

Although soccer, tennis and golf also get R500.00 each, each year, these amounts, totalling R2000.00 pale into insignificance as against the R12,500.00 Coca Cola gives to white professional soccer alone each year.

BP Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. sponsors white soccer to the extent of R15,000.00 annually and all they give us here in Durban are a few cricket bats and a few tables for table tennis.

The South African Sugar Association is pre-

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pared to spend huge sums of money on white tennis but turned down a request for financial assistance from the non-racial Southern Africa Lawn Tennis Union.

The South African Breweries told a non- racial soccer organization in Durban a few years ago that it would only consider a sponsorship if that body associated itself with the white controlled Football Association of South Africa.

The breweries have given black tennis, a group recognized by the whites, a sum of R2,000.00. White soccer receives an annual grant of R20,000.00.

The South African Sugar Association has also, as far as I can gather, given financial aid only to those bodies with a racial tag.

In spite of the considerable financial assistance the whites receive, they still do not seem to have enough. Only two weeks ago a white sports administrator urged the South African Olympic Council to approach the government "for help." He told his Council: "South African sports bodies are going to find it difficult to make ends meet without international competition."

If it is that difficult for the whites, how much more difficult would it be for us who have not had the chance of raising funds from international competitions, hardly receive any government assistance and get only very meagre support from business institutions?

"NON-WHITE" GAMES- The so-called "non-white" games is proof,

if proof at all is required, of the very shoddy manner in which the whites and the South Af- rican Olympic Games Committee treated those blacks who were prepared to co-operate with them. If there ever was a sporting event, in this country, which lacked any thought and organia- tion, it was these games.

In May, 1968, it was announced that these games would be held in Umlazi, while in April last year it was stated that they would take place in November, 1969. In the same month, a Johan- nesburg newspaper reported that the games would take place "somewhere on the Reef com- plex." The paper added that athletes from the neighboring countries would be invited to par- ticipate. A publication of the South African In- stitute of Race Relations said the games would "possibly" take place in October, 1969. But before the publication could actually leave the press, a fresh announcement in that same booklet said that it would not take place in October but it had been postponed to "probably Easter, 1970." A further newspaper report said in December 1968, that the games would take place at the end of March, 1970. In February this year, Parliament was told that Mr. Braun was calling a meeting "with a view to organizing these games this year."

Eventually: * They took place in May, 1970; * No neighboring countries were invited; * And they did not take place in Umlazi.

PUBLICITY- Publicity, or the lack of it, is another prob-

lem. The limited coverage in the white press and the radio leaves much to be desired. Sporting events of even a national nature do not get the space they deserve. Sometimes they are not men- tioned at all and sometimes they are passed off in the smallest possible types. These newspapers do not give the same treatment to white sport at a similar level.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation almost totally ignores black sport until its Sat- urday afternoon Indian sports programmes. Strict- ly speaking, no provision at all is made for the broadcasting of Coloured sport. The attitude of the SABC to black sport was clearly in evidence during the white Natal golf open in 1963, which was won by Papwa Sewgolum. The planned Eng- lish and Afrikaans national broadcasts on the open were cancelled and no mention was made of the result of the event in any news bulletin. The Director of Programmes said afterwards: "In terms of the policy laid down by the Board of Governors of the SABC, we do not broadcast multi-racial sport."

A sports programme sponsored by the Kelly Tyre Company (Springbok Radio, every Monday evening at 10) ignores our sport altogether and despite many enquiries I can find only one in- stance when some mention was made of black sport-that was almost ten years ago. As far as Kelly Tyres is concerned, only whites play sports in this country.

CONCLUSION- These are among the many problems black

sport has to put up with in South Africa, problems which, to me, are completely unnecessary and are forced upon us only because the colour of our skin is not what some would like it to be.

It is indeed a tragedy that we should be faced with such a situation and, no doubt, the overwhelming majority in this country reject it.

Why should we not feel strongly about it. * What is there to be jubilant about when

the Government allows a black man from New Zealand to play rugby in South Africa against the whites, but will not let its own dark people play with the whites?

* Why must we just accept the situation where the government is willing to stage the Canada Cup golf and Davis Cup tennis in South Africa "even if it were to happen that we (the whites) had to play against a coloured country in the finals" and yet a black South African would be prevented from meeting a white South Af- rican in such an event?

* Why should it be that the government should agree to let a South Afrioan white play a black Swazi in Swaziland but would not let fellow South Africans play together in South Af- rica?

* Why should we not feel fed up when the government refuses to allow an "honorary white"

AFRICA TODAY 21



Iranian tennis team playing against whites, to play against the blacks, if such a request is made?

* How can one feel satisfied when South Africa sends a "mixed" team to the Olympic Games but yet plans to design a new badge simp- ly because there might be some blacks on the team?

* How should one feel when a "mixed" athletic team goes overseas and the team manager gets instructions to keep white South Africans from mixing with fellow black South Africans?

* What do we do when, above all these frus- trations, we are also prevented from playing a game against and with any black man?

* What do we do when our sports events and sports meetings are attended by policemen?

* What do we do when our grounds, which are our right, are takenl away from us?

Must we accept all this and, in addition, also express appreciation?

No sir, we are human. We are capable of getting bitter. We are capable of getting angry. We do get bitter and angry. If not much is said to express our very strong

disapproval, it is because we are not allowed to express ourselves any more strongly.

By being mild in our criticism or by being silent does not mean that we are happy with the position. A vast majority of us are not.

In spite of whatever difficulties might delib- erately be placed in our midst, I have no doubt that we shall be able to overcome them, too. We have, up to now, followed a very difficult path and why should we now believe that the future will be rosy.

It will, perhaps, be even more difficult, but we shall slowly, but surely climb up that ladder of success.

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