Ex-Proteas player Boeta Dippenaar to Lungi Ngidi: 'He doesn’t have the right to make the decision for me'

Former Protea players Boeta Dippenaar and Pat Symcox said they stood by what they said in Facebook posts with regards to Lungi Ngidi’s statements on the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Monday‚ Ngidi‚ who is Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) men’s ODI and T20 cricketer of the year‚ said they have to discuss when they come together as a team

Dippenaar‚ who played in 38 Tests‚ 107 ODI’s and one T20 between 1999 and 2007‚ the individual choices of players have to be respected when it comes to the Black Lives Matter movement.

In responding to a Facebook post by former Proteas top-order batsman Rudi Steyn earlier this week‚ who supported Ngidi’s call‚ Dippenaar said:

"I am afraid to say 'Black Lives Matter’ have become nothing more than leftist political movement.

"I would suggest that Lungi Ngidi listens a bit more to likes of Thomas Sowell‚ Larry Elder‚ Walter Williams and Milton Friedman.

"All lives matter.

"If you want me to stand shoulder to shoulder with you Lungi then stand shoulder to shoulder with me with regards to farm attacks."

Speaking to TimesLIVE‚ Dippenaar said the Black Lives Movement may have lost its original meaning after George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25.

“It started with the greatest of intentions to make people aware of a specific incident.

"That I can respect‚ but it has evolved into something that is not.

"I went to the trouble of researching and Black Lives Matter is for no police‚ no borders‚ anti-establishment and anti-capitalism. The list goes on but that’s not the point‚” Dippenaar said.

“As soon as Cricket SA will say Black Lives Matter and says everyone must take that stance‚ what happens to the person who disagrees with that?

"The fact Lungi Ngidi brought it up and suggested that this is a conversation that must be had‚ with the assumption that it should be endorsed‚ the assumption is that it must lead to that.

"He doesn’t have the right to make the decision for me. He’s got the fullest right to endorse it if he believes in it.

"I don’t like the fact the decision is made and everyone should follow like a bunch of sheep.

"I don’t like that at all. No one blinked when Collins Khosa was killed by our own government.

Dippenaar said he wouldn’t have agreed to follow the Black Lives Matter movement in the same manner the England national team did in their ongoing Test against the West Indies in Southampton and that there are political motives from the left.

“It would appear that the left is looking for reasons where there’s racism‚ sometimes justifiably‚ but a lot of the times not.

"I’ve been called a racist for my post. What’s racist about what I said? I wouldn’t have done it if I was a player‚” Dippenaar said.

“The statistics in America and I’m quoting the ones from John Jay College (of Criminal Justice) and they say a white person is more likely to be shot by a police officer than a black person.

"The number of white people shot by police is significantly higher‚ relative to the population‚ than black people.”

Symcox‚ who played in 20 Tests and 80 ODI’s between 1993 and 1999‚ responded to Steyn’s post with this:

"What nonsense is this.

"He must take his own stand if he wishes.

"Stop trying to get Proteas involved in his belief.

"Besides the fact that right now Cricket South Africa should be closed down.

"A proper dog and pony show with cricket being dragged through the mud daily. Buy popcorn and watch‚” Symcox said

"Now when Ngidi has his next meal perhaps he would rather consider supporting the farmers of South Africa who are under pressure right now. A cause worth supporting."

When TimesLIVE contacted him‚ Symcox said he understood the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement‚ but cautioned against shoehorning people into something they wouldn’t support.

“I’d say to Lungi that he needs to be careful of putting the team in a space of standing for something because you won’t get that.

"It’s so out of context‚ it’s scary. All lives matter. Black lives matter. White lives matter. Everybody lives matter‚” Symcox said.

“Mine is that‚ he has to be careful of taking the movement and try to get everybody to do it because it’s not going to happen.

"I’m more concern about everybody battling and the farmers are battling.

"That’s a cause that I think everybody could gravitate to because that’s our food security. That’s where I’m coming from.

“The movement’s been fantastic around the world.

"I’ve known Michael Holding for a long time; he’s a friend of mine. I listened to him on Wednesday and he was unbelievable.”