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Cape Town - Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, noted with dismay the racist remarks made by Matthew Theunissen directed at government and the people it serves following the release of the EPG Transformation Report.
In a release issued on Wednesday by the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, Mbalula said people like Theunissen have no place in our society and must be isolated as they take us backwards reminding us of our painful past. Our national imperative is to transform and make sport inclusive, fair and equitable.
“The EPG Transformation Report recognises that the playing field in sport is unequal. This recognition is what some of our white people must understand. Levelling the playing field is not a racist and divisive exercise rather one that integrates society,” Mbalula said.
Following the EPG Transformation Report, the Ministry and Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa received messages of support for its transformation drive.
Mbalula noted these messages and thanked all conscious South Africans who are fully aware of the inequalities that exist in sport and the task at hand to address and eradicate them.
“What we cannot undo however are racist people who believe one race is superior to the other. We owe no explanation to people like Matthew who have no national interest at heart but are blinded by privilege thinking that some of our sporting codes are an exclusive property of a certain race in our society. Our white compatriots and the majority in our country believe in and accepts the need for transformation as a process to bring about unity and social cohesion which are fundamental pillars of the constitutional principles of redress and equity. Racists are but a small fascist minority to which we refuse to be distracted by their words and deeds in fulfilling our historic mission of building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society,” Mbalula ended.
We owe no explanation to people like #MatthewTheunissen who have no national interest but are blinded by privilege. pic.twitter.com/N5UnG3TgNQ
— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) May 4, 2016
