Quotas no solution, says sport minister

Sports transformation quotas are not a solution to under-representation and the problem should be tackled at school level, said Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula.

Speaking at the opening of the Department of Sports' three-day lekgotla in Johannesburg, Mbalula said the transformation charter currently being drafted would deal with challenges that have hindered transformation in South African sports for 17 years.

Rugby unions, sponsors and top players opposed the quota system for years. It has been scrapped in rugby and other sporting codes.

"This transformation charter will be much broader, addressing issues of gender, equality, access, and all of that," said Mbalula.

He said the government was not a proponent of quotas because it had seen what quotas had done: "They have undermined the speeding [up of the] process of transformation.

"Quotas became counter-productive. Where quotas have said that there must be three black people, some federations have actually ensured that exactly three people play - even if there are more than three black players in the squad, only three will play."

Mbalula slammed the quota system, which the government forced on white-dominated sports such as rugby more than 10 years ago.

He said a multi-pronged approach, which would include ensuring that teachers are trained to co-ordinate sport, and the construction of 100 multi-purpose sports facilities nationwide, should be put into action.

He said the three-day workshop of sports organisations such as the SA Football Association, Cricket SA, Swimming SA and the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, would try to find ways of meeting the challenges facing sports development, such as racism and sexism.

Rugby boss Oregan Hoskins blamed the lack of transformation in rugby on "bottlenecks", saying too few young black players are selected by provincial clubs.

"I can give you an endless list of why we have not got to where we are supposed to be," he said. "A fundamental reason why we haven't transformed in rugby is the schooling system."

He said various factors are to blame for black players not breaking through the ranks from school level to senior national level.

"People talk about conditioning, dietary issues, discrimination in selection at senior level, clubs not being as open as they should be to black youngsters . these and many other issues are the challenges for rugby.

"We are committed to transformation, no matter what anybody thinks or feels to the contrary."

Hoskins said SA Rugby is talking to provincial rugby bosses to correct the problem.

"The problem has been at provincial level and that is really the bottleneck. We continue to urge to the provinces to embrace transformation so that the national coach can at least pick players knowing that he is not under pressure to meet national imperatives."

Gauteng Lions president Kevin de Klerk commended Mbalula for being against the quota system.

He said it was not that black players were not being selected, but that there were challenges facing black players.

"Often, transport would be a problem for them, facilities would be a problem for them," he said.

De Klerk said simple things such as adequate nutrition often hinder the development of black players.

"We have to look at [development] holistically and clearly," he said.

"Because of the disadvantages of the past, we have to approach things a bit more differently in terms of providing bigger packages to ensure that these youngsters come through the system."

In last year's Super14, the Bulls, who won the competition, used nine black players, the Stormers six, the Cheetahs seven, the Sharks six and the Lions seven.

The black Stormers players took part in 57 matches for a total of 315 appearances.

The Bulls' nine black players made only 41 matches for a total of 325 appearances.

The Cheetahs' group totalled 44 matches and 270 appearances, the Lions' black players 37 matches and 285 appearances, and the Sharks' black players played in 52 matches for a total of 269 appearances.

Harold Verster, president of the Free State Rugby Union, was hesitant to comment.

"I haven't seen Mr Hoskins' comments so it's dangerous for me to comment," he said.

He said, however, that, in the Free State, there is still a lot of work to be done.

"However, we are one of the smallest unions and so far we have produced many black Springboks such as Hanyani Shimange, Jongi Nokwe, Kabamba Floors, Ashley Johnson, Tonderai Chavhanga, Bevan Fortuin and Gurthro Steenkamp, who became a Bok after getting his first chance here.''

He said transformation required a lot of money and facilities, the provision of which was always difficult.

"Eastern and Western Cape have huge black player bases and yet they still recruit white players regularly."