POLITICS

My application for Minister of Sports, Art and Culture – Roland Schoeman

Olympic gold medalist says that for far too long, politics and ideology have polluted sports in SA

I’d like to share that I have formally offered my services to the President

4 August 2021

Dear Mr. President

On the 1st of August 2021, I publicly stated on Twitter that, "I'd like to put my name up for nomination for South African minister of sport in @PresidencyZA upcoming cabinet reshuffle". This has generated nearly 1 million engagements. It was in response to the growing speculation that you are about to reshuffle your cabinet as vacancies have occurred, and the ineptitude that many ministers continue to display, most recently in the tragic scenes that unfolded in KZN and Gauteng.

One gets the feeling that South Africans are tired of being served by ministers that seem to only serve themselves, at the expense of ordinary citizens.

In my humble opinion, we need ministers and a cabinet that are fit for purpose and know what they are doing. Some real world experience in their portfolios would be helpful as well.

That is why I would like to formally make myself available as your Minister of Sports, Art and Culture.

I have BA in psychology from the University of Arizona, along with a neurolinguistic programming and Life Coaching Certification from Bennett and Stellar University 2016, as well as a sport management and marketing certification from Sports Management worldwide.

My sporting achievements include:

3 x Olympic Medalist (Gold, Silver and Bronze)

4 x Olympian

5 x World Championship Medalist (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)

12 x Commonwealth Games Medalist (4 Gold, 5 Silver, 3 Bronze)

10 x World Record Holder

Granted the Order of Ikhamanga (Silver)

Arizona Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Le'Quipe Magazine - Top 10 most influential sports stars in South Africa 2010

University of Pretoria Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Mr. President, I know what it takes to be a successful athlete.

For far too long, politics and ideology have polluted sports to the point that many federations are in dire straits. Cricket South Africa and Athletics South Africa come to mind.

We need a Minister of Sport who is more interested in getting our young men and women to the point of success on major international platforms, than the politics of federations and sports clubs. Surely we want to win as a nation?

Mr. President, I am a proud South African who has seen how sport can change lives and open opportunities. I want to see the same for many others in our country but in order to do that, you need a sports minister who knows that they are doing.

I humbly offer my service to you and our country should you wish in your upcoming reshuffle.

Kind regards,

Roeland Schoeman