SPORTS activist and former Bafana Bafana team manager Zola Dunywa used the platform at the Eastern Cape Sports Awards to launch an attack on South African sporting federations and politicians.
An emotional Dunywa accused some of the country’s sporting federations of ignoring transformation and development of sporting talent, “especially in relation to black disadvantaged players”.
Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony in East London on Friday evening, politicians did not escape Dunywa’s wrath when he said they were merely “in charge” but not “in control”.
Dunywa urged politicians in attendance, including sports MEC Xoliswa Tom, local councillors and members of the provincial legislature, to be hands on in trying to remedy the situation. He said their failure to act was evident and to the detriment of disadvantaged sports people.
He accused sporting authorities of sidelining and not doing enough to uplift disadvantaged black sports men and women, saying, “we know you don’t want us and you should stop beating around the bush about it”.
“We are not feeling the current leaders of Sascoc . I wish Sascoc president Gideon Sam was here so I could tell him directly we are not feeling Sascoc. Things are getting out of hand within our sports and it’s worse for black Africans in rugby and cricket.”
Wajima, as Dunywa is known, said his definition of development was it was a movement from one level to a higher level.
He said it was misleading to keep telling sports people there was light at the end the tunnel and proposed an action committee be formed to dictate to the federations on the issue of transformation and sports development.
“Why can’t we form a committee that we call theSouth African action committee to take action against offending federations.
“We must not continue forming transformation committees one after another, attending indabas after another and coming up with declarations and resolutions that are never respected.
“If rugby continues this, that action committee will write to Saru and say you are discriminating against this country and you are going against the constitution of this country and we are going to withdraw our endorsement.”
He said support for federations that were not truly spread to all provinces should be stopped. “Rugby and cricket should stop refusing to field black African players when they are there and deserving.
“All of us here are at fault if we are doing nothing about what is happening in our sport,” said the former professional soccer player. —
Dunywa accuses sport bodies of ignoring blacks
An emotional Dunywa accused some of the country’s sporting federations of ignoring transformation and development of sporting talent, “especially in relation to black disadvantaged players”.
Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony in East London on Friday evening, politicians did not escape Dunywa’s wrath when he said they were merely “in charge” but not “in control”.
Dunywa urged politicians in attendance, including sports MEC Xoliswa Tom, local councillors and members of the provincial legislature, to be hands on in trying to remedy the situation. He said their failure to act was evident and to the detriment of disadvantaged sports people.
He accused sporting authorities of sidelining and not doing enough to uplift disadvantaged black sports men and women, saying, “we know you don’t want us and you should stop beating around the bush about it”.
“We are not feeling the current leaders of Sascoc . I wish Sascoc president Gideon Sam was here so I could tell him directly we are not feeling Sascoc. Things are getting out of hand within our sports and it’s worse for black Africans in rugby and cricket.”
Wajima, as Dunywa is known, said his definition of development was it was a movement from one level to a higher level.
He said it was misleading to keep telling sports people there was light at the end the tunnel and proposed an action committee be formed to dictate to the federations on the issue of transformation and sports development.
“Why can’t we form a committee that we call theSouth African action committee to take action against offending federations.
“We must not continue forming transformation committees one after another, attending indabas after another and coming up with declarations and resolutions that are never respected.
“If rugby continues this, that action committee will write to Saru and say you are discriminating against this country and you are going against the constitution of this country and we are going to withdraw our endorsement.”
He said support for federations that were not truly spread to all provinces should be stopped. “Rugby and cricket should stop refusing to field black African players when they are there and deserving.
“All of us here are at fault if we are doing nothing about what is happening in our sport,” said the former professional soccer player. —
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