Race, race race, we're obsessed with race (not the of the Comrades marathon persuasion, but more that of skin pigmentation). It's understandable it's a thorny issue which remains at the forefront of many South Africans minds, considering the country's ugly history of racial discrimination. and hatred. But I rarely hear whinging and complaining about racial matters from the mouths of real South Africans. Sure, they could be thinkig it and just not voicing their gripes, for whatever reason. In a rare moment of optimism, I choose to think maybe the great majority of this country's population are simply staying silent so as to promote a quiet reconciliation or subtle nation-building (you choose whatever catchphrase is popular this hour). Maybe we are looking inward to try and find answers to difficult questions regarding race, instead of shooting our mouths off and saying regrettably stupid things.
Speaking of stupid things, that great proponent of asinine racial comments, Butana Komphela, seems obsesssed with perpetuating racism. While some of his utterances are cringeworthy, they usually only amount to a good laugh at his expense. But what is worrying is the fact he's a relatively prominent (read: media-hungry) politician (more specifically, he's the chairperson of the sports portfolio committee in Parliament). Komphela can't seem to resist injecting racial hints into almost every aspect of sport. I realise sports isn't immune to everday debates on racial matters, but this man can turn anything on it's head to resemble an ugly, at times terrifying, spat regarding skin colouring. In arecent tirade in Parliament Komphela not only drew out his trusty race card (you see, he thinks everyone is playing poker. Little does he know, we're actually playing solitaire) he also added insult to injury by questioning why Leonard Chuene, he of the Caster Semenya gender testing lie fame, was suspended following that saga. The stupidity only started there. As he blustered his way through his verbal attack, he just had to add, 'The whole thing has become a racial issue' and the room went silent. If he's not trying to kill off that piece of living biltong which grazes over the national rugby team's jersey, he's using the dreaded k-word in driving home mindless messages on transformation in sport. Yet we see precious transformation in the mind of Komphela. Komphela sees colour where others see actual issues. He will superimpose race onto just about anything. Nothing is safe from his ignorant analysis. He'd ask if jukskei, that formerly hallowed sport of I believe they were called Boere games, has truly embraced transformation? What would he make of this strange activity made popular during them dark days of Apartheid by a bunch of narrow-minded, sexually repressed Calvinists. This sport is challenged in its absurdity by curling as one of the more, shall we say, pointless sports in recent history. Wherever brooms are involved with ice, this unholy union should be viewed with great suspicion. What would the little sporting watchdog tyrant say of this bizarre 'activity for pleasure' (I got that out of a thesaurus)? He'd probably find issue with the ice being too white and the players too pale. He'd accuse the founders of the game of being colonialist, imperialist, Westerners hell bent on imposing their dominance on an unsuspecting public. He'd find issue with the use of brooms. He'd probably say they are tools of the working class and their use in such a frenetic manner on ice symbolises oppression.... or something. Would he demand a parliamentary debate on the transformation in jukskei? Of course he would! He's been elected to provoke and annoy the public. In other words - needless make headlines, and test our patience. Much like another dimwitted agitator who's names sounds like - Hulius Dalema.
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