State intervention in sport - Social engineering can lead to mediocrity and international isolation

The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius is translated from Latin as "Faster, Higher, Stronger." In South Africa Minister of Sport,Fikile Mbalula and his ideological cohorts attaches, a different meaning, namely Quotas, Transformation and Social engineering.

Minister Fikile Mbalula's insistence towards sporting bodies that a 60 % quota should be implemented with immediate effect, indicates a renewed enforcement of the ideology of social engineering through "demographic representativity." This is absolutely not in the interest of sport, but only the shortsighted interests of people battling for political survival and positioning (see BDLive report).

In the apartheid years the ANC and its related organisations achieved international sport isolation of South Africa through the famous "no normal sport in an abnormal society". Now the ANC government is instrumental in the possible isolation of South Africa again, due to its own obsession with race.

Political interference and government intervention as insisted by Minister Mbalula is rejected by the major governing bodies of international sporting codes including the International Olympic Committee and member states can be expelled. Sport isolation can once again be the result because of ill-considered interference and intervention as threatened by Minister Mbalula.

If merit and achievement are no longer the benchmark and criteria in sport then mediocrity will follow. This will be the result as a short-sighted political agenda is not in the interest of the best sportsmen and women, irrespective of race, in South Africa.

A continued insistence on quotas has the ability to undermine many players who have proven themselves on merit. These dedicated players in our national teams have won the hearts of fans and already contributes to the national pride in our teams.

With this political interference and racial political agendas, South Africa will once again lose the moral high ground and will excellence be replaced with sporting mediocrity. In the long run, political intervention in sports, will be to the disadvantage of all sporting codes and will sport, the participants and the supporters be the victim.

Statement issued by Jan Bosman, Chief Secretary of the Afrikanerbond, April 7 2014

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