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The minister of Sport, Fikile Mbalula, invited the FF Plus and other civil organisations to discuss sport quotas with him today. The issue was in the news recently when Mbalula said that at least 60% of national sport teams should be black members.
 
Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on sport, says the FF Plus’ message to the minister was that his proposals were equivalent to social engineering in sport and that it will deny young white people and other minorities opportunities.
 
According to Adv. Alberts the talks were still constructive and the minister explained his sport plan during the talks and said that quotas are only one of the subdivisions in the total sport plan.
 
“The FF Plus seriously differed with the sport minister as quotas are still part of the plan and the party is of the opinion that the emphasis should be on development which would ensure that all young people, regardless of their socio-economic status, will have the opportunity to participate in sport and grow.
 
“The FF Plus emphasised that in principle there is no difference between what the minister intends and Hitler’s prohibition on Jews from participating in the Olympic Games of 1939.
 
“We agree with the minister with regards to his development plan and believe that the solution lies in this. If development is done properly and the government makes the proper financial contributions in the right places, sport stars will develop naturally and there will be enough talented sports people in future, regardless of their skin colour.
 
“The minister was consistent in his policy by stating that he believes that the national demographics aren’t properly reflected in South Africa’s national soccer team and that there aren’t enough white faces in the team. This is however still not acceptable to us. A team has to consist of the best people regardless of their social background and skin colour.
 
“Quotas are irreconcilable with merit and this social manipulation is nothing other than structural violence which government is committing and enforcing on innocent youths due to their skin colour.
 
“The FF Plus will fulfil its political mandate by opposing the policy in Parliament and in the legislatures. If we do not succeed in our opposition to the policy, any initiative to question this policy in the courts will be supported,” Adv. Alberts says.