Chairperson, during yesterday's sitting of the House, the hon Mr Spies submitted a statement on behalf of the FF Plus that pointed to alleged comments made by an ANC member serving on the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation. The basis of the statement is highly questionable since the hon Spies did not attend the committee meeting. In fact, the FF Plus is not part of the committee.
It is unfortunate and disingenuous for the FF Plus to be a conduit used by conservative elements in the media which have lost all objectivity in dealing with the state of rugby.
Where was the FF Plus when Saru questioned the coaching credentials of Peter De Villiers upon his appointment as national coach by stating that he was appointed for reasons other than rugby? What position did the FF Plus take when Ziningi Shibambo was humiliated and abused by white male spectators at Coca Cola Park? What did the FF Plus say when Llewellyn Lewinson, the chairman of the East Rand Rugby Club, a black spectator, was abused and beaten up in front of his wife and children after the Falcons lost to the Platinum Leopards at Bosman stadium in Brakpan last month? What did the FF Plus say when a black spectator was knocked unconscious by a group of white men after the Currie Cup final last month? These are the realities we need to tackle head-on to address inequity and racism in rugby. The truth may be uncomfortable and painful to some, but it must be spoken.
The ANC will continue to be the voice of the marginalised, the voiceless and the oppressed. Amandla! [Applause.]