Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has described the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup celebrations as fake. He has acknowledged Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi‘s excellence, but has denounced the Springbok symbol.
Ndlozi was participating in a debate in the National Assembly where tributes were paid to the Bokke for their third Rugby World Cup victory in 24 years.
“The EFF has long called for total decolonisation of our public symbols. This underlies our inability in the fake celebration of the Springboks because the Springbok is a sign that cannot be whitewashed. It stands in parallel continuity with Die Stem, entrenching ‘White Supremacy’ in our society. That is why the Rugby team in question is white-dominated. It is a perfect reflection that white people have successfully resisted change in our country for the last 25 years.”
In the same debate, Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip Natasha Mazonne said the Springboks have rescued the country from what she described as a frighteningly low point.
“I had the extreme honour of meeting some of the team when they started their South African tour here at Parliament. And I was immediately struck by two things. The first was their humbleness and patriotism. The second is that none of them had actually realised that they had actually come to the rescue of a country when we were at a frighteningly low point.”
Watch the video below for more on the Springboks tour:
