Bok emblem could disappear

21/06/2007 22:15 - (SA)

Cape Town - A proposal to discard the Springbok and accept the Protea as the only emblem for all South African sports teams will be discussed at the ANC's policy conference in Midrand next week.

This could lead to the disappearance of the Springbok emblem that has been used since 1906.

Cedrick Frolick, ANC chief whip in the parliamentary sports portfolio committee, confirmed on Thursday that the disappearance of the Springbok would be raised at the conference.

"It's not only about the Springbok emblem but about uniform colours for all national teams in the interest of nation building," Frolick said.

"Some teams do not look like South African teams when they're on the field. The soccer team have a different strip every time they play.

"It has been decided twice that the Protea should be the only national sports emblem. The last time was in 1998. Talks about the application will now begin in earnest."

The DA rejected the idea, saying that the ANC, unlike former President Nelson Mandela, wrongly tried linking the Springbok with apartheid and ignored the Springbok story since 1994.

"The rejection of the Springbok emblem is like throwing away a treasure from our national heritage," DA spokesperson on sport Donald Lee said.

He said the ANC was deliberately forgetting the black, brown and Indian Springbok supporters.

What about:

"When Bryan Habana's mother thinks about the Springbok emblem it will certainly not be because of apartheid but because of her son's unbelievable performances for the Springboks.

"If Nelson Mandela could proudly wear a Springbok jersey with number six on the back there could be nothing distasteful about the emblem.

Power to decide on national sports colours was in the hands of the minister of sport.

The delegated power for execution rested with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) that, in accordance with the new Sports Law, had to establish a national colours board for the awarding of all national colours.

But it was more important that the SA Rugby Union should change its constitution first to have more say in managing transformation at provincial level.

"The Springbok still represents the old (racially divided) past. We should start looking at replacing the emblem," Bullshit