The Makazole Mapimpi and Eben Etzebeth incidents have revealed the ugly underbelly of a sport still divided by some along racial lines, writes CRAIG LEWIS.
It has pained me to see some of the reaction to an alleged incident involving Etzebeth and cohorts on the eve of the World Cup squad announcement.
READ: Can Springboks block out the noise?
It was also mind-boggling to witness a social media storm erupt over a complete non-issue following the Boks’ win over Italy when some section of ‘supporters’ took a video clip involving Mapimpi completely out of context.
ERASMUS: Steyn did not shoo Mapimpi away
Let’s not even touch on Aphiwe Dyantyi’s doping saga, which prompted some misguided keyboard warriors to suggest it was all a racial conspiracy aimed at derailing the career of the Bok wing.
There’s no point taking sides on any of these issues.
If Etzebeth is guilty, it is the job of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa to prove as much. Should they find the evidence to do so, he must face the consequences. But the course of justice should not be swayed one way or another on the basis that he is a Springbok star.
Similarly, Dyantyi will have an opportunity to present his defence, and subsequently have to contend with the sanction handed down by an independent tribunal in the near future.
No one wins in these situations, but to see completely uninformed members of the public taking it upon themselves to make flash judgements and engage in racial slanging matches online has served as an indictment of society once again.
This was surely not the vision late great president Nelson Mandela envisaged when he championed the unifying power of sport as he threw his undivided support behind the Boks at the 1995 World Cup.
Indeed, the social media reaction to the ‘bomb squad’ celebration provided an insight into just how offsides some ‘so-called’ sports supporters will venture.
To be honest, I don’t really know how to say it any better than respected colleague and ever-popular SuperSport presenter Xola Ntshinga. His views he shared on Twitter were about as on point as it gets.
These guys are more integrated than the majority of their countrymen. They live together for extended periods, travel together all the time. Elite sport teammates form a bond that most of us can only dream of.
— Xola Ntshinga (@XolaNtshinga) October 6, 2019
The most bizarre thing for me, is people choosing to get offended on behalf of Makazole Mapimpi. Trust me, he’s big and strong enough to stand up for himself. He’s proven his worth and worked damn hard to be a regular in a tough position for one of the top teams on the planet!
— Xola Ntshinga (@XolaNtshinga) October 6, 2019
Today I am once again ashamed to be a South African, as I was when the xenophobic attacks broke out. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know most of these young men. They’ve done more for this country than most. #my2centsworth
— Xola Ntshinga (@XolaNtshinga) October 6, 2019
These are immensely valid views and a must-read for anyone who has allowed recent incidents to sow division in a South African society that already has more than enough fractures as it is.
When we comment on social media and engage in verbal warfare with our fellow countrymen, are we all armed with the necessary facts? Have we given real thought to the consequences of labelling someone as a racist?
I ONLY comment on things I know. I simply don’t have sufficient info on that issue. I wasn’t a witness. And unlike those that are full of opinions, I believe the best way to handle it, is to have as much info at hand. This should be standard!!!
— Xola Ntshinga (@XolaNtshinga) October 6, 2019
Has anyone stopped to think how Frans Steyn may have felt to be called out for excluding Mapimpi when nothing could have actually been further from the truth?
There’s a poison that seems to permeate our sports fraternity, and this comes starkly into the spotlight when there are flashpoints such as we have seen recently.
Before the World Cup kicked off, the Springboks launched a campaign that aimed to highlight the need that South Africa is Stronger Together.
When one looks in and sees how close this Springbok team is, and how joyously all players celebrate with their teammates, it’s clear to see that the national side is living up to that slogan.
Yet, it’s a large portion of their fan base that is falling woefully short of matching that sentiment.
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images
