Cobus Claassen

Pretoria – Naas Botha was tackled head-on on Thursday when the civil rights initiative AfriForum responded to his comments about the Springbok as national rugby emblem.

It was the very Springbok that played a major role in establishing Botha as a rugby legend, AfriForum said in a statement.

This came after the former SA captain had said on Wednesday, “If they want to shoot the Springbok, they must do it now and get it over with.”

Botha, in commenting on the controversy over the future of the Springbok emblem, made it clear that he was not in favour of replacing the emblem. 

He added, however, “Everyone is tired of hearing every year that the Springbok has to go. Shoot it now and get it over with.”

Kallie Kriel, chief executive of AfriForum, said on Thursday one would not have expected Botha to yield to political pressure from Butana Komphela, controversial chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport and an ANC member of parliament.

AfriForum feel Botha should have more respect for the Springbok tradition, Kriel said. “He earns big money as a rugby commentator these days, on the back of the Springbok that made him so well known.

Emblem may not be abolished unilaterally

“But he is not willing to protect the hand that still feeds him.”

AfriForum has also approached advocate André Oosthuizen for legal opinion in an effort to have the new Sports Act declared unconstitutional. 

Kriel feels this is necessary because it is the exact law that makes it possible for “elements outside rugby” to try to get rid of the Springbok emblem.

According to the lawyer, the emblem may not be abolished unilaterally by a minister or a government institution.

“The Springbok is a registered trademark of South African rugby and interference to remove it will amount to expropriation,” Kriel said.

AfriForum indicated that legal action was being withheld “temporarily” until it became clear that the government intended using the Sports Act to the detriment of the Springbok.

“If it becomes clear that what Butana Komphela propounds is not merely noise from a radical element but indeed the government’s policy, we will go ahead with legal action,” Kriel said.