There is a sickness abroad in the land: the government’s obsession with demographic representivity. It is not only a false premise that every activity should be representative of any racial group in society. It is also a guarantee of mediocrity, because merit inevitably has to be sacrificed on the altar of racism.
The latest gem in the sports arena is sports minister, Nathi Mthethwa, who says the team that South Africa sent to the Olympic Games in Tokyo does not reflect the demographics of the country. The fact that Mthethwa sees it as such an important issue in the society is a distraction and shows an unhealthy obsession with race.
The national government would have been truly impressed at Mthethwa’s obsession over racial representation in our sports. It is so exacting that it would meet the approval of the architects of apartheid.
What did Mthethwa make of the glorious, multi-racial welcome given to Tatjana Schoenmaker on her return to the Olympic village after winning the gold medal for the 200m breaststroke? Did he even watch it? Was his race-obsessed heart moved at all?
Let’s look at some of the demographics: there are 59,62 million people in South Africa, broken down as follows:
- African 47,5 million
- Coloured 5,1 million
- Indian/Asian 1,4 million
- White 4,7 million
The first 3 groupings are categorised as “black” for racial, deterministic purposes of the government.
There were (by the author’s count) 181 athletes at the games, divided as follows according to sporting codes:
Athletics 46 participants
- Black 34
- White 12
Aquatic 21 participants
- Blacks 0
- White 21
Climbing 2 participants (new code)
- Blacks 0
- Whites 2
Cycling 11 participants
- Black 1
- White 10
Equestrian 2 participants
- Black 0
- White 2
Field hockey 32 participants
- Black 16
- White 16
Football 16 participants
- Blacks 16
- White 0
Golf 3 participants
- Black 0
- Whites 3
Gymnastics 2 participants
- Blacks 2
- Whites 0
Judo 1 participant
- Blacks 1
- Whites 0
Rowing 6 participants
- Blacks 0
- Whites 6
Rugby Sevens 13 participants
- Blacks 11
- Whites 2
Sailing 3 participants
- Blacks 0
- Whites 3
Skateboarding 4 participants
- Blacks 1
- Whites 3
Surfing 1 participant
- Blacks 0
- Whites 1
Triathlon 4 participants
- Blacks 0
- Whites 4
Waterpolo 26 participants
- Blacks 5
- Whites 21
Mthethwa noted that Team SA managed only three medals, after Schoenmaker claimed gold and silver in the 200m and 100m breaststroke, and Bianca Buitendag took silver in surfing.
Most of the federations took all-white teams or predominantly white teams to Tokyo. Our calculations reveal 11 codes meet these “criteria” and 8 have only white participants. So Mthethwa said the time had come for the government to accelerate transformation so that teams reflect the demographics of the country at international tournaments.
Have a look at the 8 codes that were all white:
- Aquatics 21
- Climbing (new) 3
- Equestrian 2
- Golf 3
- Rowing 6
- Sailing 3
- Surfing 1
- Triathlon 4
These are niche codes, other than Aquatics, and involved 22 out 181 people or 12% of the total. I would venture that Mthethwa would have great difficulty balancing representivity in those codes for some time to come.
It’s worth noting that only five of the codes would be associated with private schools. Participation by blacks in those codes will increase over time.
Mthethwa apparently has no idea what it takes to participate at Olympic level. The first absolute requirement is talent. If your talent is soccer you can’t be required to participate in judo to meet ‘demographic’ requirements.
The second requirement is unbelievably hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Athletes must sacrifice years of training, isolating the athlete from what would be considered “a normal” life. Since most train from teenage or even childhood, they sacrifice the activities and fun associated with being in one’s teens.
Tatjana Schoenmaker’s dedication is what made her extraordinary success possible. The encouragement, assistance, and support by family is crucial. There are few, if any, world-class athletes who can succeed without punishingly hard work and commitment. Talent is just never enough.
Mthethwa can neither apportion talent where he deems fit; nor can he force athletes to train and dedicate themselves to the required level to compete.
Demographic quotas only lead to disillusion and failure. No one supports athletes who can’t make the grade – they become invisible every quickly.
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Image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay