Cosatu threatens protest action at Saturday’s Test between the Boks and the All Blacks

03 October 2017 - 18:28 By Liam Del Carme
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General view of Newlands Stadium.
General view of Newlands Stadium.
Image: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

As if SA Rugby and the Springboks do not have enough on their plate as they prepare to host the All Blacks‚ Cosatu have threatened protest action at Saturday’s Test at Newlands.

They also‚ through their firebrand Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich‚ launched a withering attack on SuperSport rugby analysts Nick Mallett and Naas Botha.

At the core of the trade union’s grievance is DSTV’s monopoly over rugby’s broadcast rights in this country and Ehrenreich said they’ll resort to protest “should DSTV and the Government not agree to air the game (live) between the Springboks and the All Blacks and all other national games on SABC.”

If they don’t get their way in a meeting with DSTV‚ government and SA Rugby in Cape Town on Wednesday morning‚ they will protest at Saturday’s clash.

“We will protest at the game on Saturday‚ we will stage pickets at the hotel where the All Blacks are staying and make them aware of these issues‚" Ehrenreich said.

"We will write to the international rugby federation to make them aware of the discrimination that is taking place in South Africa around national games."

Asked to explain comments in a statement in which they called for the axing of former Bok captain and flyhalf Botha and erstwhile Bok No8 Mallett‚ Ehrenreich said:

“Koos Bekker‚ who DSTV belongs to‚ is the Stellenbosch mafia.

"If they were concerned about national interest they would allow the games to be shown on the SABC.

"They have the licenses which the Government stupidly sold them.

"They can address this issue.

“There are issues with regards to Naas and‚ what’s the other one?... that Nick Mallett.

"They are both old and outdated. They should go.

"I can’t understand why we can’t get newer commentators with fresher perspective.

“Did Naas spend all his money unwisely that DSTV can’t guarantee him a job forever? He must go do what other people do that don’t have money.

“But Nick Mallett… he has a habit of talking down black players and trying to keep his white boys in the team.

"That is racist in our view.

"He doesn’t want to get with the national programme of treating all players fairly.

"He must be removed from DSTV. We have no time for somebody who perpetuates the old biases of the past.”

Botha was loath to add fuel to the fire.

“That is one guy’s opinion and I guess people are entitled to them.

"To comment on that isn’t really worth it. Reading between the lines the story isn’t really about Nick and I‚” Botha said sagely.

Asked if the quality of SuperSport’s commentators will be a topic at Wednesday’s meeting Ehrenreich said: “Yip.”

He then raised another matter.

“There is no development at grassroots level.

"Only the black players from the fancy schools are in the main getting places in the national team‚ in the upper echelons of the sport.

“The development at grassroots level is virtually non existent.

"Saru must take responsibility for that.

"Those are matters that are part of an ongoing discussion.”

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