By Subry Govender
Senior Political Journalist and Editor
The Cricket World Cup is with us and supporters in the cricketing world are looking forward to some spectacular and nail-biting contests over the next six weeks.
While the nationals of India, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan will automatically support their teams, here in South Africa this is not a certainity.
Noting this, the Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbulala, had to make a special plea to South Africans to rally behind the Proteas.
He said in a statement on Wednesday last week: "All South Africans must come out and support our boys. We want them to bring the cup home when they return."
Support for the Proteas has always been a point of discussion ever since South Africa was re-admitted into international cricket in the early 1990s after the release of Nelson Mandela from 27 years in prison. India was the first team to visit South Africa to play the then national team in a series of matches. The Indian team even called on Mandela at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
During a press conference, Mandela was asked who he would support in the series between India and South Africa.
He responded by saying: "I regard both India and South Africa as my teams. I will support both teams."
At that time Mandela was very diplomatic as he knew that there were anti-apartheid forces in the country who wanted to see the development of non-racial sport in the country before they could switch to supporting the national teams.
Over the past 17 years, while the new ANC Government has been pushing unity in sport and urging all citizens to support the national teams, there were many others who continued to support countries such as India, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka against South Africa. Many of these people included anti-apartheid activists who fought for non-racial sport.
And this was highlighted recently when the Indian cricket team visited the country once again to play test, one-day and 20-20 internationals. A great deal of debate developed after some people of Indian-origin supported the visitors.
Questions were asked as to their patriotism - whether it was with India or South Africa? Some white spectators in particular threw abuses against Indian-origin spectators during the India-South Africa matches at Kingsmead in Durban.
It was pointed out that 17 years into our new democracy, all South Africans should support the national cricket team. It was stated that the past racial situation should be forgotten and the Indian-origin supporters should demonstrate their new patriotism.
This is all very good and nice-sounding advice. But it seems it does not go down well with those who supported the ideal of "no normal sport in an abnormal society" during the anti-apartheid struggles against racial sport.
Many of these people find it difficult to change even 17 years into our new democracy.
They happen to be mainly those in the age group of 50 and above who had experienced the excessive and aggressive racial inequalities and injustices of the past.
During the days of the struggles, they had been used to supporting visiting teams against the all-white teams. And when South Africa was re-admitted into international cricket in the early 1990s, many anti-apartheid activists began to support India, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka against South Africa. They pointed out that they could not see themselves supporting an almost all-white national cricket team against India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies - four of the top black teams in the international cricket arena.
This attitude was in direct contrast to the sentiments expressed during the struggle period when it was made clear that in the new South Africa - the composition of the teams should not be an issue.
One of the greatest anti-apartheid sports leaders of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s era, Mr M N Pather, who was the secretary general of the South African Council of Sport(SACOS), was one of those who expounded this view. He said in an interview at that time that as far as he was concerned his struggles would be over once South Africa was free.
He had stated: "When we win our freedom, I will be happy with an all-white team as long as it is chosen on merit."
But in reality many people find this hard to follow. Most feel that the cricket team, despite the inclusion of our own home boy, Hashim Amla, and four other players of colour in the current cricket team to play in the Cricket World Cup in South Asia, is still "too white".
Whatever the reasons for some saying that they will not be supporting the Proteas, it must be made very clear that as citizens in a democracy we all enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of choice.
If people in a democratic society feel that they want to support a particular team in an international sporting competitition, then it should be their right to do so.
They should not be forced to support a particular team by terms such as "show your patriotism".
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