structure in this country. Secondly, the structure we have created, based as it is on the non-racial principle, is the only one which conforms in all respects to the basic conditions that the international sports fraternity demands. Third­ly, we are the only tennis controlling body that can and will be part of sport as an institution of the non-racial society that will come into being after apartheid".

AFFILIATES

The Tennis Association of South African has the following affiliates:

BolandCentral Orange Free State Eastern Province Eastern Transvaal Far Northern Transvaal,Griqualand West,North Central Orange Free State,Northern Natal Northern T ransvaal Services (Transkei)South Eastern Transvaal Southern Natal South Western Districts South Western Transvaal Stellaland Victoria East Western T ransvaal Western Province

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

S A Primary Schools Sports Association S A Senior Schools Sports Association S A Tertiary Institutions Sports Association

OFFICIALS

President: Adam Fortuin (Wellington)Vice President; Stanley Gumede (Germiston)General Secretary : Colin Clarke (Cape Town) Ass. Secretary : Yusuf Bhyat (Benoni)Treasurer: Yunaid Waja (Johannesburg)

PANEL OF REFEREES

David Samaai (Paarl) Darryl Camlissen (Cape Town Antipus Sehlapelo (Pretoria)

COMPETITIONS

The premier senior competition is the National Open Tournament. No major sponsorship has been received for this competition.

The ninth National Open was held in Batho, Bloemfontein in the first week of January 1988. Hosted by Central Orange Free State Tennis Association.

Men’s Singles Winner: Women’s Singies w inner:

Hussain Mohamedy (Southern Natal) Vera du Plessis (Boland)

The Tenth National Open was played in Stellenbosch in the first week of January 1989. Hosted by Western Province Tennis Union.

Men’s Singles w inner: Women’s Singles w inner:

Marcelino Winlock (Boland)Loretta Abrahams (Western Province)

The other senior competition is the Inter-Provincial Tournament. No sponsor­ship.

The 1987 Tournament was held in Lenasia, Johannesburg and hosted by South Western Transvaal Tennis Union.

Winners Boland

The 1988 Tournament was held in Bellvilie, Cape Town and hosted by Western Province Tennis Union.

Winners Western Province.

The only National junior competition is the Coca-Coia Masters. Sponsored by Coca-Cola for the past ten years.

The 1987 Coke Masters was held at the Jeevan Kara Tennis Centre, Durban and hosted by Southern Natai Tennis Union.

The 1988 Coke Masters was played in Lebowakgomo, near Pietersburg and hosted by Far Northern Transvaal Tennis Association.

In 1989 TASA is planning to organise an Inter-Provincial Tournament for the juniors.

AT the Provincial level, several Open Tournaments were held annually, name­ly, the Transvaal Open, Southern (Sugar) Open, Eastern Province Open, Boland Open, Western Province Open and the Far Northern Transvaal Open,

OTHER ACTIVITIES

During the past two years, two General Meetings and Councillor’s Meetings were held.

TheSthAGM ofTASAwasheldattheBSI Hall. Batho, Bloemfontein, on January 1, 1988.

The 5th BGM ofTASAwas held at the Peninsula Technicon, Bellville on January 1, 1989.

A Councillor’s meeting was held in Durban on April 19,1987 and in Actonville, Benoni on March 13, 1988.

All the meetings were well attended and very constructive.

During the past two years, TASA officials travelled to various parts of the country to assist existing affiliates sort out domestic problems and to new areas to extend our membersnip.

In 1987, after receiving a RIO 000 sponsorship from Dunlop, TASA successful­ly completed its fist National Coaching Clinic. This Dunlop Coaching Clinic was held in Paarl from May 28 to June 1 and hosted by Boland Tennis Union. All but two of our affiliates - Central CFS and South Western Districts - were represented. A total of 32 coaches participated in the beginner’s course run by David Samaai (Boland) Cavan Bergman (South Western Transvaal) and David Isaacs (Western Province).

In 1988 the second Dunlop Coaching Clinic was held in Durban. It was hosted by Southern Natal Tennis Union. Twelve affiliates participated in the event. Coaches who had done the beginners course, successfully completed an in­termediate course and a new intake of coaches completed the beginners course.

Mr A E Fortuin, the TASA President, has remarked that "this training course is, without doubt, one of the greatest and most important of our various achieve­ments during the years. This is the unanimous opinion of all those who were fortunate to be part of it."

During the last Easter weekend, TASA successfully participated in the most colourful and massive SACOS Sports Festival. Eight men and eight women participated in a Round Robin tournament. Sadly due to rainy weather on the last day, the finals could no be completed. SACOS medals were awarded by the President of SACOS to the following:

Men: M Winlock (Boland), H Mohamedy (Southern Natal), E Petersen(Western Province), J Klaasen (Western Province).

Women: V Du Plessis (Boland), J van Staade (South Eastern Transvaal), B Accom (Western Province), S Essop (Boland)

TASA salutes SAGOS for organising the Festival.

Two outstanding TASA players, Hussain Mohamedy (Southern Natal) and Vera du Plessis (Boland) were chosen to represent TASA in 1987 and 1988 respec­tively, in the SAGOS Sportsperson of the Year event. While neither were for­tunate to be chosen for this top honour, we remain proud of their dedication to TASA and its principles.

Two seasons ago, a TASA newsletter was prepared by the Secretariat, Unfor­tunately, the response of the affiliates to the newsletter was not positive as promised. However, at the recent BGM it was agreed to revive the idea of the newsletter.

SPONSORSHIP

Nationally, we have two sponsored events annually, the Junior Masters and the Goacnes Gourse. The Junior Masters has been sponsored by Caqa-Gola for the past ten years. Iji 1987 the sponsorship amounte<fto R245 000 and last year it was increased to R265 000^ This amount, unfortunately, does not cover the complete expenses for the Goke Masters. Affiliates are given a subsidy towards travelling costs. However, we are grateful to Goca-Cola for this spon­sorship. Our juniors have come a long way with the assistance of their spon­sorship.

The other sponsorship is from Dunlop who in 1987 were prepared to give us R12 000 for any event. TASA decided to utilise the funds on a Coaches course. This amount was increased to R14 000 in 1988 and we are in the process of negotiating for further sponsorship for 1989.

In 1987 TASA made several approaches to multi-national companies for spon­sorship but all responses were negative. In 1989 renewed efforts to ensure sponsorship are going to be made to companies.

For our affiliates at provincial level, like all other affiliates of SAGOS the lack of meaningful sponsorship is even a bigger problem. Affiliates have survived on the generosity of local businessmen and professional people; and the sheer dedication of officials and players to uphold their beliefs at their own costs.

Only two of our affiliates have been successful in getting some sort of sppn- sorship. For the past two years. South Eastern Transvaal Tennis Association has been receiving sponsorship from EIMCO Mining and Machinery Company based in Elandsfontein on the East Rand. The other affiliate, Southern Natal Tennis Union has, for the past few years, been receiving sponsorship from the Sugar Association of South Africa. Sadly this sponsorship has been terminated for 1989.

During the past few years, splinter racial tennis bodies which have mush­roomed around the country, notably around Soweto and the Reef townships, have attempted to lure our membership through handouts such as tracksuits, equipment, coaching and so on. Some of them who were lured for monetary principles are either now just playing casual tennis or have just given up the game.

The endless increases in transport costs, equipment and accommodation are making the hosting of tournaments very difficult. To break down the racial bar­riers created by the monstrous apartheid and to spread the game in the op­pressed township ghettos, funds are definitely needed. In some townships, tennis facilities are non-existent.

TASA has come a long way since 1979 but the challenge and dedication in the next decade and for a new society in a new South Africa is everi greater. Sport can never be non-racial until the basic structure of the society in which we live and play our sport is changed.

The Inlernalional Tennis Federation No. 10 August 1988

South AfricaIt has been no secret that for some time the ITF has been under increasing pressure, especially from the Olympic movement, to make abundantly clear to all our total opposition to apartheid in any form, in any country.

ITF's founder members back in 1913, it was decided;

Therefore, in order to distance ourselves from the political situation in South Africa, a motion was pul forward by the Scandinavian countries at the AGM that the ITF should use its best judgement to stop international competition in South Africa. In a secret ballot, support for this proposal was overwhelming.

As a result the Committee of Management has come up with three significant moves which demonstrate their sincerity and determination to deal with the problem. Even though the South African Tennis Union was one of the

a. To press, at the next meeting of the Men's Tennis Council, for the Super Scries tournament in Johannesburg to be excluded from the Grand Prix Calendar.b. To remove the South African Championships from the list of events officially recognised by the ITF.c. To exclude South Africa from all international team events, such as the Davis Cup, the Federation Cup and the W orld Youth Cup, all of which are organised by the ITF and come under its sole jurisdiction.

TERTIARY INSTITUTIONSThere are present two non-racial organisations for Tertiary Institutions. The South African Tertiary Institution Sports Council (SATISCO) and the South African Tertiary Institutions Sports Association (SATISA) which is affiliated to SACOS.

Serious attempts are being made to form a single non-racial organisation since sportspersons from both organisations belong to other SACOS affiliates. Members of the SACOS executive attended two meetings where attempts at unity were made. The two organisations expressed the view that they would be able to resolve the matter without assistarice.

Since SATISCO operates on campuses where multi-national sport Is also played there has been requests for a review of the SACOS policy which prohibits the use of such facilities.

VOLLEYBALL

Their President Ms A Smith, submitted the following report.

During the period April 1987 and March 1989 AVASA consolidated its units in Eastern Province, Border, Boland, Transvaal, South Cape, Midlands, Natal and Western Province. Its associate members the South African Senior Schools Sports Association and the South African Tertiary Institutions Sports Associa­tion have been active in all our activities. It is hoped that Unions will be formed in the near future in North Western Cape and the Karoo.

Our major problems remain the shortage of funds and the lack of suitable in­door facilities in the communities of the oppressed and exploited.

Lately the ruling classes in the racist sports bodies embarked upon a strategy to sow confusion and dissent amongst our members. They have begun to target certain officials with the explicit object of hiving off sections of our players to give their organisations credibility. These attempts until now have been resisted by most and it has given rise to lively debate amongst the sportsper­sons in our ranks.

It is indeed a validation of the principles and policies of SACOS which have been enunciated over the past 15 years. Most sportspersons do understand and support these policies in the quest for a society that will be free from op­pression and exploitation.

In order to allow for as many as possible of our players to meet, play together and share ideas, we introduced regional club tournaments. These have proven to be very successful. We have every reason to believe that these club tournaments will in time come to eclipse the National Tournaments in impor­tance.

WEIGHTLIFTING, POWERLIFTING AND BODY BUILDINGThe racial weightlifting organisation was expelled from the Internationa Weightlifting Federation in 1972. The body building organisation is a full men" ber of the International Body Building Federation but has been barred frof participation in world championships.

The South African Weightlifting, Body Building and Powerlifting Federation f a member of SACOS. It was established in 1950 and staged its 38th Nation^ Championships in Cape Town during September 1988.

The Federation has been severely hampered by the lack of sponsorship biJ their members have been determined to annually stage the National CharT pionships.

WOMEN’S HOCKEYThe South African Women's Hockey Board is an active affiliate of SACOS. They attend all our meetings and functions and their teams participated in tN 1988 SACOS FESTIVAL

Unrest police barschool sports meetBy PETER DENNEHY

M A JO K D o lf O d en d aa l, a sen io r o f f i ­c e r o f the P e n in s u la U nrest U n it , yes­te rd a y stopped 11 buses fu ll o f b lack sch o o lc h ild ren from leav in g F'ezeka H ig h School in G ugu lc tu to hold a n o n -ra c ia l a th le tic s m eetin g in F in e - lands.

Pupils from Fezeka, I D Mkize. Sizamilc and Crossroads Three schools had organ­ised the athletics meeting themselves, via the joint Students Kepresentativc Coun- 'cil. and paid for the buses.

They had also hired the UCT-owned sports grounds in Finelands, with the help of the UCT branch of the non-racial SA Tertiary Sports Council (Satisco).

A police spokesman in Pretoria said the

police had been called in and asked to break up the meeting by a source within one of the schools involved.

Mr Ken Andrew, the I'FF spokesman on black education, who arrived at Fezeka soon after the drama, said he believed Major Odendaal had told the pupils they were not going anywhere as the DFT had not given its permission.

SRC members, who declined to be named, said police had later offered to escort the pupils to sports grounds.in NY49, which the pupils said were “too small'', and which they had not booked anyway. They declined

Pupils claimed that DKT-organised sport was “not even multi-racial, it's racial sport".

Mr l.,eon Nel, deputyiiirector of the DET in Cape Town, said Monday's athletics

meeting at Green Point stadium, org '̂ ised by the Secondary Schools Spot* Council, had been successful and hf been attended by all six black hii’ schools.

The balance of events were to have en place on Wednesday, but four scho<̂ did not turn up on that occasion as seemed "the SRCs had decided someth! ̂else, they were going to take a school d' for their own sports meeting".

"We asked the police to be on the aK that there was no damage to buildings that no lives were lost," he said “We d’ not want pupils to be intimidated." .

Later yesterday, ailer he spoke to “ Nel, Mr Andrew said Mr Nel had und^ taken to speak to the principals of schools involved, with a view to arrang*' a sports meeting acceptable to all parb

Their secretariat submitted the following report:

AFFILIATES

When EPCOS was constituted on the 25th September 1977 we have 15 af­filiates. TheUitenhageand District R.F.U. became our 21st member when they affiliated at the last meeting. The FOUR units in the Eastern Cape who have yet to link up are Weightlifting and Bodybuilding. KWASBO, KWARU and E.P. Rugby Union. The first three were at one stage full members of Council.

The ATTENDANCE GRID which is attached speaks for itself. Codes should note that there is NO restriction on the number of delegates who may attend. We need an improvement in attendance from the usual ONE delegate per code - the increased numbers would also help to liven up important debates that take place.

SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 1987

Sixteen (16) Nominees participated at a well patronised function at the Alabama Hotel in October. Albert Tyulu of E.P.A.A.A. stood in for that grand "old man" from Queenstown, Tatius Sondio, who passed away a month before our event. The effervescent Kenny March was the M.C. and had the honour of ’walking’ the winner among winners, Richard Dolley, to the victory podium where Dr Basil Brown did the honours. Dolley was also selected runner-up in the SACOS event held in Cape Town in December 1987.

A good feature was the presence of almost all Code Presidents who also had the honour of awarding their candidates with medals. The codes that par­ticipated in 1987 were: Athletics, Boxing, Baseball, Chess, Cricket, Darts, KWARU, Men’s Hockey, Women’s Hockey, Lifesaving, Netball, E.P. Soccer Board, Swimming, Tennis, Uitenhage Volleyball, Weightlifting.

An EPCOS newsletter was distributed at the awaMs function and highlighted the achievements of candidates. One hopes tha .i_L our affiliates will have a nominee for the EPCOS Sportsperson on 9 November 1988 at the Alabama Hotel.

SACOS MEETINGS

During the period under review EPCOS had delegates at all SACOS Meetings,i.e.

DURBAN: 17/18 October 1987 PE/UITENHAGE: 19/10 March 1988 JOHANNESBURG: 16/17 July 1988

Full reports, together with Resolutions were tabled thereafter. EPCOS affiliates still have to do justice to the SATTB introduction "Preamble to a discussion on some problems facing sport" in which the future restructuring of SACOS is mooted.

Our affiliates did a marvellous job in hosting the SACOS conference in March 1988.

EPCOS has not been too vocal at SACOS meetings with regard to introduc­ing new ideas, plotting the way forward, because affiliates have not participated fully in discussions.

The next SACOS General Meeting will be held in East London on 3/4 Decem­ber 1988. The SACOS Sportsperson 1988 event will be held on the night of the 3 December in East London.

SACOS SPORT FESTIVAL 1988

On the 26 March EPCOS introduced the Festival to the public of the Eastern Cape via a successful FUN RUN, from the Golden Fountain to the Gelvandale Grounds. Almost 4000 sportspersons participated and a carnival atmosphere prevailed at the finish. The EPCOS/SACOS FUN RUN or ’Run for Freedom' looks set to become an annual event and the necessary follow-up with aspirant sponsors is already taking place.

EPCOS hosted a Briefing Meeting for all participants in the National Festival and also organised the transport arrangements. Ninety-one sportspersons and -(--ten supporters were transported to Cape Town via buses. The late ar­rival of the Border contingent before departure gave cause for concern but otherwise the entire operation went smoothly. Kenny March the ’controller’ in Bus A can testify to the good behaviour of our local sportspersons.

A detailed Festival Report has been received and will be discussed later in the meeting.

CONTACT WITH TRADE UNIONS

Even before the directive from SACOS with regard to contact with COSATU/NACTU was received, EPCOS and certain codes had been making overtures to the local trade unions with a view to introducing non-racial sport to their members.

A preliminary meeting was held with COSATU shop stewards in November 1987. Most managedTto send a delegate even though the notice arrived vei7 late. Although the EPCOS Executive and Codes tried to steer the meeting in a more fruitful direction, a few trade unionists were intent on emphasising their point; "Where does SACOS stand in regard to the Freedom Charter? ft was explained that SACOS carried in its ranks members who supported the politi­cal philosophy of the Congress, Black Consciousness and Unity movements

13 8

as well as a host of other tendencies. We were also at pains to explain that the future political orientation of SAGOS was an ongoing debate at SAGOS General Meetings - and that democracy should be allowed to take its course.

Once the meeting settled down the following issues, amongst others, were dis­cussed:

-GEMSA Sportsground take-over by racial sport

-Involvement of parents (workers) in Prim&ry School sport played by their children.

-School sport that breaks the township barriers.

-Industrial sport and the use of sports complexes at work

-Sponsorships given to racial rather than non-racial sport.

-Workers participation in ’multiracial’ events, e.g. Fun runs.

A follow-up meeting was promised but never materialised.

Gorrespondence has also been despatched to NAGTU, the amalgam of the Gouncil of Unions S.A. and the Azanian Gonfederation of T.U. but there has been no response to date.

The M N Father lecture delivered by Alec Erwin of GOSATU in December 1987 is necessary reading re: relationship between SAGOS and the Workers move­ment.

In May 1988 EPGOS received an invitation from GOSATU and NAGTU for frater­nal talks together with other community organisations. TJie trade unions wishes to assess the response to the introduction of the new Labour Bills (now laws).

In June 1988 EPGOS received yet another invitation from GOSATU/NAGTU to expand on the previous talks. The Security Police intervened, however, and our General Secretary was questioned for two hours at Le Grange Square.

It is clear that the powers that be wish to squash the relationship that is present­ly being built up between community bodies (sport included) and the Labour movement.

Very few of SAGOS’ affiliates are building strong links with the worker move­ment who are our natural allies. We should re-double our efforts at building contact both at local and national level through our respective codes.

SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR’S COURSE, JULY 1988

A full report is attached.

CONCLUSION

The EPCOS Newsletter on the breakaway Primary Schools helped to fuel the debate, and the pamphlet, ’The Attach on the Sports Front’ (included were readily received and showed the need for further publications. If codes sub­mit enough material then a quarterly publication could materialise. A publica- tions/media officer could be appointed.

The State of Emergency has become a permanent feature of our lives and our organisations wiil have to adapt accordingly, Ihron Rensburg of KWASBO and scores of other detainees still languish in jail more than two years later.

The period under review did see an improvement in attendance and commit­ment but there is still room for improvement. Are SACOS matters, the problems that beset the non-racial sports struggle being discussed in codes?

We still have to improve relations between codes in the Eastern Cape and this can only be done practically by inviting each other to Games, Functions, to hand over Awards, etc.

Let us build the unity of non-racial sportspersons in the Eastern Cape.

Sportspersons United Can Never Be Defeated.

Dr. Craven’s S.A. Rugby Board persists with their dishonest claims that they are "non-racia l". The a rtic le be low shows the ir rea l intent-multi-racialism as propogated by the South African Government.

‘R estrictions’ are lifted on WP LeagueBy DEON VILJOEN picked on an eight seven ba-

, r-. 4 /-'I rr' f i u ' SIS and the WP I.eaeue selec-WP LLAGUE. for so long hampered by racial restrictions, are to be given a new lease on life by the South African Rugby Board

WP president Jan Pickard •^aid last night all limitations #ould be lifted on WP League, who were formerly allowed to pick a maximum of hve play­ers from the "white" clubs.

From this season the team (they have their first outing on April 25. a Lion Cup qualifying match against Winelands) will

I si.s, and the WP League selec­tors will also be allowed to call on players irrespective wheth­er they have played for the Western fVovince senior side.

'We are delighted with the latest moves." said Wf'^Leaguc boss Commandant John Cu- pido "But we still have quite a battle on our hands as the SARB has yet to approve these measures at its centenary meeting in Kimberley (April 5).

"In the past there were sev­eral selection problems, as the WP League panel were not al­

lowed to use the services of players who have already worn the WP jersey.

■ For instance, if a player like Calla Scholtz should lose his place in the Province side, he would in future become automatically available to us."

WP League coach Dougie Dyers was also happy with lat­est developments.

"We can now select sides on merit." he said, "‘but you must remember that we don t neces­sarily have to pick seven white players."

Their Secretary, Mr. C. Vawda submitted the following report.

INTRODUCTION

NACOS firmly believes that we have an increasingly important role to play in promoting the non-racial sports struggle which is a small but important aspect of the broad liberatory struggle. However, we are of the view also that to be relevant to that struggle there has to be a change in attitude and approach. In our view the following need urgent attention:

1 .democratisation of our structures,2. broadening our base to cover all areas throughout the province, especially those areas where our influence is less, or not, known,3. building a good structured relationship with the progressive community, youth, political and trade union organisations,4. becoming actively involved in building a broad democratic sports movement,5. devising a programme of action whereby our people in the townships can be involved with us in plotting the future. It is no longer satisfactory to merely react to situations. We have got to plan and act so that we can control the direction in which we wish to move,e.building unity and consolidating our ranks,7.we have to make a special effort to draw in a wider membership. We cannot expect members to be dragged over in small numbers.

2.NACOS EDUCATION COMMITTEE

This committee which we regard as very essential, devoted the greater part of last year to the staging of our very first conference held at Durban on the 20/29 January 1989. Four topics were chosen, namely:

1 .the present state of sports in South Africa,2. the nature of sports in a capitalist society,3. alternative models of sports,4. challenges of transformation in sport.

Fifty four organisations were represented and there were one hundred and fifty delegates. Eighteen of these organisations were not sports organisations. They were trade unions, political and community organisations. Eleven nation­al codes were present and twenty five provincial or regional codes of sports were also present. The conference we believe went down very well and the lessons drawn from the conference are very far reaching and extremely impor­tant for all of us in SACOS.

3.NAC0S/C0SATU SOCCER RALLY

The Cosatu branch in Durban invited us to assist in organising the above proposed soccer raily which wiil take place towards the end of April. We ex­pect a very wide representation of soccer players from Cosatu throughout the province to take part with some of our players. Seminars and workshops will also be held.

4.BREAKING ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS

A considerable amount of hard background work has been done and continues to be done. We meet on a regular basis trade unions, community organisa­tions and youth groups from many of our areas The decision to work closely with progressive community organisations has opened up a very wide and ex­citing field for extending our influence. W§ see no limitations beyond the very real problem of finding more manpower.

5.REGIONAL COUNCILS OF SPORT

As will be seen from the last of our affiliates, we have already the Pieter­maritzburg Regional Council of Sport (PIECOS). We helped in the creation and formation of the Chatsworth Regional Council of Sports (CRECOS) very recently. We are confident that this regional council will affiliate to us soon. It is interesting to note that circumstances which lead to the formation of CRECOS. The new sports stadium in Chatsworth was nearing completion and a number of questions arose e g. the name of the Stadium and the control thereof. At one stage there was a suggestion that the stadium be named after A. Rajbansi. It was also rumoured that the control of the grounds would be handed over to the local dummy councils. NACOS called an urgent meeting of all interested sportspersons and the affected community organisations. A series of meetings were held and a successful strategy was devised to defend the interests of non-racial sportspersons. The fight in this respect is not over. These events, however, led to the formation of CRECOS.

We also plan to form regional councils in Ladysmith and Stanger.

6.AFFIL1ATES

1.2 .

3.4.5.6.

7.8. 9.

AthleticsBadmintonBaseballChessCricketDartsWomen’s HockeyKharwastan Sports Union (associate member) Netball

lO.Precos (Pietermaritzburg Council of Sport)11. High Schools12. Silverglen, Mobeni Heights, Umlaas, Welbedacht Sports Union

(associate member)13. Soccer14. Squash15. Swimming16. Table Tennis17. Tennis18. Volleyball19. Weightlifting

7.ADMINISTRATION

1. Patron : Morgan Naidoo (deceased)2. President : Krish Mackerdhuj3 Vice President: Errol Vawda4. General Secretary; Clive Vawda5. Assistant Secretaries: Harry Naidu, Y Thanthony6. Treasurer: R D Naidu7. Exco Members: Ronnie Govender (co-opted)

Rabbi Gobind (co-opted)

We have regular council meetings, on an average of seven to nine a year. Ex­ecutive meetings are also held very regularly. In addition, we have meetings with our affiliates and other organisations referred to above.

The Victoria East Council of Sport has been in existence since 1974.

The founder member units were: Victoria East Rugby Union and Victoria East Cricket Board. Today Victoria East Council of Sport is made up five units namely:

1. Victoria East Tennis Union2. Victoria East Rugby Union3. Victoria East Soccer Union4. Victoria East Cricket Board5. Victoria East Netball Union

Victoria East Council of Sport stretches from Alice to Adelaide.

It was a major break-throug^h for VECOS to be joined by one high school from Fort Beaufort in 1988. The school joined SASSSA under SEDSSU (South Eastern District Schools’ ^ o r ts Union). During the 1988 sporting

season the school formed part of SEDSSU teams; i.e. rugby, soccer and crick­et that participated in SASSSA tournaments held in Graaf-Reinet, Durban and Cape Town respectively.

REVIVAL OF DEFUNCT UNITS

Victoria East Soccer Union was revived during the 1988 soccer season. Moves are afoot to revive Victoria East Netball Union.

VECOS is at present experiencing major financial problems as it is mainly operating within a homeland and the Cape Midlands areas, not within the economic mainstream.

Harassment of officials by the security forces is one of the repressive measures used by the enemy to dampen our spirit. These, however, are not deterrents to our struggle for a non-racial cause in sport.

Plans are afoot to establish formal links with SEDSSU as some of their schools fall within our jurisdiction.

Victoria East Council of Sport wishes to express its total commitment to the struggle for Non-racial sport as enunciated by SACOS in her principled policy of non-collaboration. We are, however, fully vigilant of moves by various mis­chievous sporting bodies who are strivinc to undermine this cause.

AFFILIATES

Athletics, Baseball, Cricket, Netball, Primary Schools, Senior Schools, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Western Areas Table Tennis Association,

NOMINAL MEMBERS

Southern Transvaal Darts, Western Transvaal Darts, Squash, Mens and Women’s Hockey.

NON-MEMBERS

Rugby, Transvaal, Table Tennis, Northern and Eastern Transvaal Darts, Eastern Transvaal Squash,

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Mr R A Feldman, Ms R A Manning, Mr M Khan, Mr Y Kara and Mr A Gandab- hai.

ACTIVITIES

Hosted SACOS BGM in July 1987, Extraordinary General Meeting and MN Father Memorial Lecture in July 1988.

Attempted Sports Administrators Course with very little success.

Met with the Herschell Action Committee in Khatlehong and placed them in touch with the TSB.

Also met with representatives of various trade unions who were in the process of setting up a workers resource centre and requested that TRACOS provide material for the sport section and to organise seminars and courses at resource centre.

Volleyball affiliate invited the TRACOS executive to Secunda to meet with G Mntashe of the NUM and others to establish closer links.

Two executive committee members attended the NACOS Conference on "Sport-Mobilisation and Transformation" and were active participants in dis­cussions.

FUTURE PLANS

Facilitate talks with TRACOS and NpsI with one of the Npsl officials.

Planning a regional mini-conference in Soweto.

The Wepcos Secretary Ms. I. Joseph's, report followsThe W estern Province Council of Sport celebrated its 15th year of existence recently, after a two year period of trauma and turbulence within the parameters of non-racial sport, the ef­fects of which, certainly could not leave the council unscathed.

1987 was heralded in, with the desperation of the capitalist rulers to preserve their sources of sur­vival by the amendment to the liquor laws and other major concessions to apartheid. To the

liberal forces, these "concessions' were excellent opportunities for them, to dispiay magnanimous qualities of patronisation to forces within the Liberatory Movement, bedevilling not only the gullible but many "leaders" within the strug­gle.

Needless to say, we have come two years hence and despite the rescinding and reviewing of many resolutions and tactics of SACOS, we are ironically still no nearer to liberation. The horizon in fact, seems to be receding rather rapid­ly.

However, recognition for "progressive" change and the identification with the workers had indeed placed SACOS on a higher plane of achievement.

During this 1986-1987 period, the Western Province Council of Sport embarked on a few successful campaigns, one of which being the campaign against Regional Services Councils. At the initial meeting the position of SACOS had been placed into perspective and the following were highlighted;

1. That SACOS had always taken a stand against Dummy Institutions such as Management Committees, Community Councils, etc. and through the forma­tion of the Double Standards Resolution, there could be no acceptance by sportspersons of a position in which they would contribute towards the machinery of their own oppression.

2. That ^ o r t if regarded as a component of the Liberation Movement could not accept RSC’s automatically but that it would embark on a programme of educa­tion to involve all progressive organisations against this common enemy.

S.Certain options were identified as being acceptable such as using alterna­tive venues; giving no credibility to officials or collaborators; should the sur­vival of sport depend upon the venue; that correspondence be undertaken only with Municipalities as in the past and lastly that the people’s interest ^gainst the capital racist system be maintained.

This campaign was intensified in 1988 due to a subsequent confiscation of a number of ^ortsfields in the Western Cape which iilustrated the reaiity of RSC’s. The Council initiated meetings at Atlantis, Kraaifontein and Elsies River. In Atlantis the struggle for autonomy of the Sports Board is still not resolved; while at Kraaifontein matters were complicated by the fact that the Manage­ment Committee appeared to have links in the non-racial clubs of cricket and rugby and the fact that the parent bodies of these codes were not involved.

The Council had come to realise two very important points; viz.

(a) That sportspersons had no other alternative but to continue this fight as the political awareness of people had not reached the stage where SACOS or WEP- COS could divorce itself from politics. It is recommend that the political or­ganisations should intensify their fight against oppression and concentrate them around actual issues such a these:

(b) That our own codes, in many instances only became involved when they were personally in need of assistance.

1987 also saw the introduction of the first Guguletu Sports Festival which al­though successful, could have met with greater success if plans were not scheduled to go awry, due to a continuous postponement of the date (due to funeral services of various comrades as well as political tensions within the townships). The Social Function was heartwarming however, while the gaiety of the children was certainly infectious.

The year's activities were rounded off with the hosting of the M N Rather Memorial Lecture and the SACOS Sportsperson of the year event.

Both events were moderately successful due to the help of many willing codes but as has been identified the lack of active participation of many others left both functions with much more to be desired.

1988 saw the Western Province Council of Sport in yet another era. State repression of the most severe kind yet seen in this country and the third State of Emergency since 1986, had thwarted all attempts of the democratic move­ment to progress. Bannings and restrictions placed on almost all community organisations including the most recent restrictions on all teacher organisa­tions had proved a tremendous setback. This depressing state of affairs had placed SACOS firmly into the spotlight as only sport, religious and cultural or­ganisations could attempt to keep 'alive ' the liberation struggle.

However, along with this spotlighted position, many other dilemmas had emerged as well. The issue of non-alignment to any of the progressive or politi­cal tendencies and the demand that SACOS should align itself with one or other receiving the most prominence.

The Western Province Council of Sport had aiways identified the fact that SACOS was a major part of the Liberation Struggle and held the view that it should continue to do so as the "Sportswing of the Liberation Movement". However, if SACOS adopted or aligned itself to any one political tendency, it couid mean the death of the unity within the organisation and a division along political lines which could only result in the utter destruction of SACOS. WEP- COS and its affiiiates had attempted to preserve and promote this unity within local non-racial sectors of the community. (It was this unity which brought about the almost total isolation of racist sport). However, the predators both within and without the sports movement seek only to that had been built up over the past fifteen years.

In addition to this serious threat, it appears that the ioyalty of many of our af­filiates is sadly lacking. The compiacency and reticence, and even inactivity as faras the policies of SACOS are concerned leaves all completely disorien­tated and depressed and mindful of the poem by William Wordsworth:

Will we,

"Be lost for ever. While on ourhalls in hung.................Armoury of the invincible Knights of oid;We must be free or d ie ......... “

From: "It is not to be Thought of that the Flood"

The highlight of 1988 was no doubt the SACOS Sports Festival during which SACOS was placed firmly into the position, it had deserved for so long as the ONLY non-racial sports organisation in the Liberation Movement, (brief as that position may have been).

The honour and prestige bestowed on our sportspersons and champions of non-racial sport were long overdue and thoroughly earned.

However, the triumph and accolades were shortlived and marred by the serious inabiiities, shortcomings and poor leadership qualities as dispiayed by the SACOS Executive. Many would argue that these occurrences had nothing to do with WEPCOS. But "sports poiitics" is but a fragile world and a crack of any nature could inadvertently cause, destruction to the belief in the iiberation through sport.

Furthermore, WEPCOS by its almost non-involvement and obvious absence from working committees of the Festival revealed its vulnerabiiity. These events no doubt contributed to the lack of vitality within the Council and caused the erosion of many a confidence.

But whatever the circumstances, accountability is a two-way process, hence dependability and trust should come not only from the Executive but also from its affiliates.

Despite these setbacks however, the Council had initiated the formation of a Sports Board of Control in the Athlone area together with the involvement of other progressive organisations, WEPCOS also actively participated in the Mandela Birthday celebrations by organising the Guguletu Sports Day. Or­ganisers, however, were met by the SADF and were lorced to cancel all ac­tivities.

It is very important that the WEPCOS should regard all setbacks as mer' pass­ing fallacies and that it should continue to be engaged as the representative of SACOS in the Western Cape. Much more can be achieved when re'^lisation of the importance of the importance of this era dawns upon all of us - we are in the midst of a critical era within the history of struggle for democracy and basic human rights. We should realise that we do not need a visit to Lusaka to bring home this fact. The answer is here - with us. Sport has persisted in its struggle for more than 15 years - why should we now by our failure to main­tain the Sports Movement be a party to its destruction?

We have twenty-five affiliates this year with an attendance averaging between nine or ten cooes per meeting, we hope to improve this during the coming season by ensuring greater commitment.

We sincerely hope that our codes will re^ond and co-operate and that they will not be misled into betrayal of the SACOS ideals and the belief in TRUTH and JUSTICE as espoused by the OLYMPIC MOVEMENT.

Our best wishes to SACOS for a unified and successful Biennial Conference.

THE 1988 SACOSPORT FESTIVAL

The event was staged in Cape Town from 2 - 6 April 1988. Mr Frank van der Horst, Convenor of the Festival Committee, submitted the following report:

"SUCCESSFUL SACOS FESTIVAL 88

The SACOS SPORTS FESTIVAL 88 was the BIGGEST and most successful mass sports activity undertaken by the liberatory sports movement. The well- attended "OLYMPICS OF THE OPPRESSED" was hailed as:

*a triumph for the anti-apartheid liberatory sport of the exploited workers and students under the banner of SACOS;*a commitment to building principled unity of all sport, community and trade union organisations;

*a major advance for building a genuine just, new and non-racial society based on equal human rights and led by the working class;

*a demonstration of the dignity, perseverance and resourcefulness of our downtrodden masses in the face of violent repression, a near permanent state of emergency, grinding poverty and humiliating racial discrimination;

*a mass tribute to our sporting heroes who strive for excellence and perfec­tion despite the energy sapping and crippling handicaps of apartheid;

*a re-dedication of our firm belief that racist South African sport must be total­ly isolated until apartheid exploitation is totally destroyed;

*a new imaginative and creative strategy to involve the sports masses in strug­gle, thereby improving the image and expanding the base of SACOS in the ghettos, locations, squatter camps and "homelands".

*the building of the embryonic sports structure of the new non-racial national that will be free from racial prejudice, racial discrimination and apartheid.

PLANNING

The sports festival was planned and organised under tremendous pressure and with limited resources within a short space of nine months from the first planning meeting on 4 August 1987. Each affiliate was requested to appoint a local representative to the SACOS Sports Festival Committee and to ensure continuous liaison and consultation with their national body.

The most suitable date proved to be the Easter weekend (2 - 6 April 1988).

Various sub committees were created; their functions detailed and convenors appointed. The local SACOS officials unanimously decided to be convenors of key committees to ensure efficient operation and organisation. Original con­venors consisted of Planning (F A van der Horst), Outfitting (A E Adams), Publicity and Brochure (C R Clarke and G Bam), Fancy Goods (M P Neewat), Tickets (C R Clarke) and Accounting (Y Ebrahim). The fundraising, gym- nastrada, transport and cultural committees had no specific convenor but were generally managed by the overall Festival Convenor, F A van der Horst.

Subsequently, C R Clarke resigned from the SACOS Festival Committee. The new Convenor of tickets, Mrs Avis Smith, started her work under great disad­vantage at a late stage.

SPONSORSHIP

Adequate sponsorship was the key to this successful festival. The successful negotiations for sponsorship from Warner-Lambert (R60,000), Shell (R40 000), S A Preserving (US$15 000) and Reader’s Digest and Allied Businesses (R12 000) were obtained without any conditions attached not even requests for publicity.

The President was authorised by a SACOS executive Meeting held on Friday, 2 May 1986 in East London to investigate and secure sponsorship for SACOS. This was required for the sports festival and sports education projects which would involve field workers. The General Secretary suggested that a docu­ment be prepared to seek sponsorship to host a sports festival (SACOS General Meeting May 03, 1986, East London).

The S A Preserving sponsorship required that work or job opportunities be created. The textile co-operatives belonging to the Masibambane Forum were approached to make sportswear (T-shirts) for the Fancy Goods section. This action served to build collective unity and better understanding between un­employed workers and SACOS affiliates.

A major sponsorship was obtained from Adidas who supplied nearly all the sportswear (top class tracksuits, jerseys, shorts, shirts, socks and gym- nastrada outfits). Adidas wished to be known as the official supplier of sportswear to the SACOS festival.

The highly successful Wembley Fun Run which attracted 11 000 runners was held a week before the festival. It proved a great advertisement and secured R2 000 for SACOS as well as sponsorship for Western Province-based sports bodies. The numerous half f^ge and full page newspaper advertisements placed by Wembley demonstrated SACOS’ immense "pull" and was a new form of marketing SACOS events. Numerous enquiries from all over South Africa confirmed this support.

The value and origin of sponsorships that were secured were reported to the SACOS Executive (16 October 1987), SACOS General Meetings (17 October 1987, 19 March 1988) and the meetings of SACOS Presidents (or their repre­sentatives at the SACOS Sportsperson of the Year function (5 December 1987) as soon as these had been obtained.

ALL sponsorships, without exception, obtained by SACOS were banked into the SACOS Sports Festival Fund. It is unfortunate that so many fabrications regarding the sponsorships were bandied around. This irresponsible be­haviour created untold damage. Expenses incurred by officials for transport, materials purchased, telephone and other expenses related to the festival were re-imbursed. However, most officials only claimed half of their expenses in­curred in order to avoid embarrassing accusations. Many convenors lost heavily in expenses not claimed and particularly in many work days lost when organising the festival. Rumours that abouhd that SACOS Festival Funds are being utilised in township projects or that goods are being sold below cost are baseless.

PROGRAMME

The programme of events was drawn up by mutual consent although changes were introduced to overcome unforeseen problems (see final programme). Surf Lifesaving decided to participate at a very late stage. Rugby initially agreed to participate and forwarded sizes for tracksuits and jerseys. A letter dated 29 Januai^ 1988 informed the Festival Committee that SARU would be unable to participate.

A successful press conference to launch the festival was held on Thursday 17 March 1988. This was followed by a publicity launch on Tuesday March 22, 1988 where all progressive community organisations were invited. Guest speakers from all trade unions and political tendencies were invited to speak. This confirmed SACOS’ non-aligned position in the liberatory struggle. The content of the speeches were excellent even though some serious construc­tive criticism was voiced. MAPP (Musical Action for People’s Power) provided cultural events of a high standard. Refreshments were served at both launches which were well attended.

The cultural programme on Saturday afternoon was provided by banks and groups organised by MAPP and featured artists like Sakhile, Peto, Raakwys, Ntsikane, etc.

The opening and closing ceremonies were impressive and memorable events. The lighting and extinguishing of the flame of liberation by Adeeb Abrahams and Shaun Verster was a very emotional event as the huge crowds roared their support for SACOS. Guest speakers were Dullah Omar at the opening (Ath- lone Stadium) and Prof Jakes Gerwel at the closing ceremony (UWC Stadium). A moving sports declaration was read at the opening ceremony.

Newspaper coverage during the festival was an organised stony silence. This prompted many readers to telephone teleletters (Cape Times) enquiring why such a massive and significant liberatory event was being boycotted. The im­pact on huge crowds could, however, not be stopped. All venues were jam- packed, particularly, Volleyball, Squash and Surf Lifesaving, notwithstanding the windy and, later, rainy weather. The mass gymnastrada was obviously the highlight of the festival, especially the huge spelling of the word "SACOS"

The SACOS flags flew at half mast throughout the festival to pay tribute to our fallen heroes and those in detention. It is also a demonstration against the state of emergency and banning of organisations.

Buchu Press has produced an impresive book entitled: SACOSPORT ’88 - A COMMEMORATIVE VOLUME.FINANCE

The Accounting Committee laid down strict rules for the handling of finance. To-date, the excess of income over expenditure according to our bank account stands at R21 564.

The balance of SACOSPORT 88 must be placed in a special SACOSPORT FUND for the next festival and must not be used for any other purpose, however, important.

CONCLUSION

The sports festival is necessary to award our diligent players for their principled commitment to the non-racial liberatory struggle and their support for the total isolation of racist South African sport. It also stimulates the raising of playing and administrative standards. This is an essential requirement to prepare our grassroots player to play their full role in the post-apartheid society.

The sports festival is a valuable training ground for public administrators in every aspect of sports organisation, particularly, our younger and new ad­ministrators.

The sports festival enables the public, both players and spectators, to demonstrate in mass social activity, their involvement, commitment and sup­port for SACOS. The sporting of SACOS sportswear is a powerful tool of aware­ness. It should preferably become an annual (or biennial event).

We must ensure that the maximum number of sportspersons become active­ly involved in the organising of sports festival and other events. The concept that some work while others "direct" or "manage" should be laid to rest once and for all. This militates against all democratic principles.

The sports festival must be staged in other centres. An honest evaluation of the real strength of non-racial sport in that town must be undertaken to estab­lish the quality of organisation, dedication of officials and players, co-opera­tion of different codes of sport,'support from the community, suitable venues and the drive of organisers to make the event a success. A detailed evalua­tion must be done of each area. This will also serve to pin point our grassroots weaknesses and enable us to engage corrective action to make our organisa­tion and our policies more viable and effective.

The issue of obtaining large sponsorships and everything related to it must be investigated in detail.

The non-aligned position of SACOS in the broad liberatory movement was demonstrated throughout the festival by getting speakers from all political ten­dencies. Criticism was, however, raised of a slight imbalance in the arrange­ment. It should be point out that decisions to appoint speakers were made in committee.

The vast and intricate organisation involved in staging such a massive PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL OF SPORT must of necessity bring many problems. Events shouldpreferably not clash and follow one after the other for greater spectator sup­port. A longer period of duration of the Festival may be required. Workshops on policy, expansion into the townships, broadening the democratic base and greater involvement of players at grassroots level must be introduced. Nation­al championships as part of the festival should be discouraged as it brings a train of problems regarding transport cost, gate-takings and the awarding of SACOS colours. While the programme is normally prepared well in advance, there are always stragglers, changes or withdrawals which dislocate the "final ' programme. Proper gate, public address, vending allocation and spectator control, is essential.

A warm word of thanks is extended to all our sponsors and all those sports, community, and trade union organisations, firms, institutions and individuals who assisted unhesitatingly to make the festival the great success it was, even under the state of emergency. Your generous support gave real meaning and content to our sports theme of.

"DISCIPLINED UNITY, CO-OPERATION, COLLECTIVE ACTION AND LIBERATION"."

We sincerely thank the Convenor of the Festival Committee for the sacrifices and effort he made in ensuring the success of the 1988 Festival.

Three important matters in his report must, however, be clarified and rectified:

1.THE NON-PARTICIPATION OF SARU IN THE FESTIVAL

On February 9, 1988 members of the Executive based in Cape Town, met a delegation of the SARU Executive to discuss their participation in the Festival. Various contentious matters were raised but essentially it appeared that SARU was unhappy about having to bear the costs of accommodation for their two teams due to participate in the Festival. They felt that sponsorship received should cover all costs. In a letter to the Festival Committee dated 29/2/1988 they announced, with reasons, their decision not to participate.

The report of the meeting between the Executive members and their letter of withdrawal was due to be discussed at our General Meeting held in Port Elizabeth on March 16/17, 1988. However, due to major problems on the SACCS Executive and the time it took to resolve matters the SARU involve­ment in the Festival could not be fully discussed and their withdrawal remained.

Tragically, Rugby players committed to the non-racial sports movement under the banner of SACCS, could not receive the accolades or acknowledgement of achievements which they so richly deserved.

2.THE BUCHU PRESS PUBLICATION

At the General Meeting held in Port Elizabeth during March 1988 a letter was tabled from Buchu Press Publications requesting to produce a publication on the 1988 SACCS festival. It was agreed that the Executive members based in Cape Town should meet with them to discuss the matter. A clear agreement was reached that the SACCS Executive would peruse the manuscript prior to publication. This was not done and the matter reported at a General Meeting on December 3/4,1988 where a decision was taken to distance ourselves com­pletely from the publication and not to accept the monetary contribution which would have accrued to us from the sale of the booklet.

3.SACOSPORT FUND

It is the prerogative of the General Council of SACCS to decide on the estab­lishment of a Festival Fund and to decide how best any profits accrued by the 1988 Festival can best be employed to the benefit of the organisation. Such a decision has as yet not been made.

THE M.N.RATHER MEMORIAL LECTURES

1987-ALEC ERWIN

"DOES SPORT HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE"

1988 - FR. SMANGILISO MKHATHSWA

"ORGANISED SPORT AND THE QUEST FOR DEMOCRACY'

fr. Mkhathswa and Yusuf Ebrahim at the 1988 M.P. Rather Memorial Lecturein Johannesburf

DOES SPO RT HAVE A RO LE TO PLAY IN THE LIBERATIONSTRUGGLE?

By Alec Erwin - 4 December 1987

INTRODUCTION

The M N Rather Memorial Lecture is an interesting and important occasion. It provides a chance to reflect on the many aspects of endeavour that constitute sport. I hope I will do the occasion justice.

I was able to choose the title of this talk. I know that this issue has been debated in your meetings and hopefully my reflections will make some contribution. However, I also welcomed this chance to try and answer some questions in my own mind. For as long as I can remember sport has been a part of my life. As my own political understanding and involvement grew I have often tried to integrate my love of sport into that process. I have found this a challenging task and my only regret is that I have not done it justice in the short time that life in South Africa allows for any activity.

THE ROLE OF SPORT

It can be cogently argued that sport is an integral part of the ideological structures that continue to subjugate people to the evils of apartheid and the cruel irrationality of capitalism. Sport in all its forms consumes a great deal of human energv and ingenuity. But it does this within a framework of competition, individualism and an ethic that sport itself is somehow above the political endeavours of people. These characteristics are heightened by the fact that the resource costs of a mass activity such as sport are so great that the conduct of sport is both dependent upon capitalist production relations and a rich field for capitalist exploitation. This integration into capitalist production relations also requires that sport be administered as a business enterprise in capitalist countries. As a result it exhibits all the authoritarian managerial styles characteristic of such enterprises.

There are, therefore, those that argue that our struggle is against the very conception of sport as it presently stands. But we have to pause and consider. Sport is so much part of many people’s lives that such radical arguments are very hard for most people - including political activists - to absorb Such a radicalism seems far removed from everyday concerns and in South Africa it surely imposes too great a burden on an already overloaded political agenda.The concerns around sport in South Africa have been more immediate. It is apartheid that has inserted politics into sport. Segregation and deprival of facilities

have been the issues of mobilisation. Organisation has -stated briefly - focussed on an anti-apartheid sport. Internally this has largely taken the form of building alternate non-racial sporting leagues and boycotting apartheid leagues and facilities.

Externally the focus has been on isolating South Africa in the sporting world. This isolation is designed to pressure the South African regime into removing apartheid. There is no doubt that this campaign has had major successes.

There are no doubt other conceptions on the role of sport than those provided in these two thumbnail depictions. However, I feel that they provide a useful starting point for further discussion and exploration on the issue.

We need to try and relate the problem more closely to present conditions in South Africa.

The radical view of sport outlined above cannot be lightly dismissed. However, whilst it is based on a materialist analysis it runs the risk of constituting an idealist politics. It is a position so dislocated from common experience that it offers few starting points for transforming political understanding. It’s unclear what interventions can be made to shift both understanding and the political power structures within sport. The result is an inability to win over mass support for such a radical position.

Clearly organising around anti-apartheid sport offers far greater scope for political interventions. Since it relates to everyday experience it has a greater capacity to win over mass support. However, it also runs the risk of being a reactive form of politics by not asking questions about sport itself. This would have the effect of leaving sport where it found it, which is outside of politics and prey to the dominance of capitalist production relations.

I wish to try and argue a case that will lead to the transformation of sport through building a mass participation in the politics of sport. In brief it seems to me this has to be done by locating sport within the changing conditions and requirements of the wider liberation struggle.

THE POLITICAL CHALLENGES OF THE PRESENT

The liberation struggle is facing new and serious challenges to its advance. This is no place to explore those in full, however, some salient points need to be extracted in order to assess the location of organisation in sport.

The post -1984 popular resistance is - as is inevitably the case with resistance - proving to be a double edged sword. It has shattered political complacency and made capital - both national and imperial - aware of the urgent need for political

, reform in South Africa. As important, South Africa has become a significant issue within the domestic’politics of the Western capitalist countries. 'The fact that Southern Africa is probably the richest mineral resource area in the world has also intensified the political attention now being focussed on the Region. Great political effort is being exerted to try and shape and influence the future political dispensation in the area.

However, the post-1984 upsurge had some dc(,ngerously disquieting dimensions for capital. The radicalism of the upsurge and the increasingly assertive role played by organised workers holds little comfort for capital. Increasingly capital has come to fear the consequences of a democratic settlement in South Africa. The see a prospect even worse than the ZANU landslide victory in Zimbabwe. The weight of the working class and a long and influential left wing political tradition could lead to a rapid lurch to the left in South Africa.

Such a prospect is not a possibility that capital wants to facilitate by too precipitous pressure on the present regime. Sanctions-like pressure is being kept within very manageable proportions by the major imperialist powers and as a result no being very effective as a form of pressure.

So despite very serious economic, political and social pressure from below this regime remains relatively strong politically since it is not under decisive pressure from either the Western pov^ers or internal capital. This allows the regime to continue to make unfettered use of its security forces both within South Africa and within Southern Africa to contain popuiar resistance. Whilst the excesses of this policy are uncomfortable for the Western powers and national capital they will not as yet prompt decisive pressure.

An examination of the position in Southern Africa at present must surely lead to the following conclusion. It is fairly clear that South Africa and the Western powers are often explicitly (SA and USA support for UNITA) and more often by the commonly shared political assumptions about the region, attempting to effect a political solution for the whole region. The common thread of such a solution is that it attempts at all costs to prevent mass democratic solutions and replace them with governments of political necessity achieved by negotiation between parties. This leaves fragmented governments incapable of decisive political action and, therefore, held prisoner of existing vested interests.

The role call is long and clear: Savimbi, DTA, Rajbansi, Buthelezi, LoKhanya DIaminis, MNR, dissidents and dissidents and more dissidents. I would argue that the implication is very clear and that it that the struggle for democracy in South

Africa has undergone two very real and fundamental changes. It is now both a struggle for democracy in the whole of Southern Africa and it is a struggle against existing economic interests. The two are increasingly totally intertwined. The terrain of negotiation is not just South Africa but Southern Africa. The battle is to shape the terrain of negotiation, to shape the parameters within which it takes place. For capital, democracy may coincide with socialism in the region. To prevent that requires the prevention of mass democratic solutions.

There are many factors that will determine the success or failure of such a strategy in Southern Africa. However, there must surely be one absolutely decisive factor. That is the strength of mass democratic organisation in South Africa. It is can survive and grow then the strategy is doomed to failure.

SPORT AND MASS ORGANISATION

The strategies and tactics of mass organisation are in need of a review and adjustment. This debate is being conducted in many democratic organisations. The best we can do here is to start a discussion of how best organisation in sport fits into the project of building mass democratic organisation.

Sport is very close to being a mass activity in our society. What contribution can it make to building mass organisation? Surely our starting point should be to achieve a coherent overview of all aspects of sport in our society. Sport takes place in many different forms and sites within the society.

However, dominant ideologically, politically and in terms of resources is that sport is essentially conducted as a business. Capital uses sport both to directly appropriate surplus from the activity and to use its ideological power for advertising. In South Africa it also has a much more direct political purpose for capital as it attempts to de-racialise internally in order to expand and secure future markets and in order to reduce foreign pressure.

Capital is integrally Involved In sport in another are as well. This is most clearly seen in the mines where sport is actively encouraged and financed. On a smaller scale there is a great deal of sporting competition between companies. The resources are provided by capital but used by workers.

A similar situation exists within the educational institutions where the facilities are provided by the State and under their control used by millions of students.

The situation is similar in communities where it is the State that has the greatest capacity to provide the facilities and resources yet it is the people of the communit that wish to use them for the various sporting leagues set up in communities. Outside these more formally constructed sporting sites there exists a much wider

field of recreation and informal sporting activity. In certain cases there are few resources required for this but upon closer examination it will be seen that the resources required are massive. Open land, water areas, beaches and parks are large scale infrastructure and in a capitalist society they are very expensive.But more than this leisure and recreation requires people to be earning a living wage that allows them the time and money to enjoy recreation. To earn a wage requires you to be employed and in South Africa 3-4 million (and may more) people are not employed.

Even as brief a coverage of this sites of sport as provided here makes it clear that the organisation of sportspersons is a large task. What are the implications of attempting this overview? I believe two major starting points for further strategising emerge.

The first is that sports organisation predicted on an anti-apartheid basis alone is no longer adequate. More precisely what I mean by this is that attempts to build organisation outside the apartheid structures that exist are valid but totally inadequate if we are looking to build a mass organisation. We are not able to provide the facilities and resources that could sustain mass participation outside the facilities provided by the apartheid structures. Use or non-use of apartheid facilities is no longer a crucial political question - it does not take us forward strategy-wise. Whether our children can go to private schools or not, may be a comment on the class origins of membership, but it verging on the trivial when we sit down to consider mass organisation in sport.

Participation in apartheid accommodating leagues is clearly affected by what I’ve just said. However, moving to a position of a participatory free-for-all would not be a political advance. Distinctions have to be made but the in-out option also no longer takes us forward. We have to begin addressing this from other starting points. To begin with let us look at the second starting point emerging from the above overview.

That starting point emerges from looking at the nature and magnitude of the sites of sport. I would argue that mass organisation of sport could only be achieved if it is co-ordinated with the activities of organisations that already exist in these areas. Within the whole business sport area there is the union movement. Within the educational institutions there is the student organisation and within the community there is youth and civic organisation. Unless such co-ordination is achieved sports organisation will remain isolated in the arena of sport - and not all sites of sport at that. Such isolation will impose upon that sports organisation a limited agenda around alternate facilities and alternate leagues. Such an agenda cannot successfully address the more problematic issues of a mass sports organisation.

Working with other organisations requires co-ordination. How can this be done and around what issues will co-ordination be done?

In looking at co-ordinationl will borrow the COSATU conception of this. COSATU has argued that co-ordination must take place between organisations that have their own grassroots membership, that are governed by democratic structures accountable to that membership and which have a national organisational presence. Organisationally then the structures are independent of each other although they will attempt to adopt a common political programme of action. Co-ordination must not become a process where a few people co-ordinate the activities of a number of organisations. Such a structure is vulnerable to loss of its leadership and tends to weaken the ability of grassroots organisation to resist a sustained attack by the State.

Co-ordination has to balance the need to act decisively and quickly at certain points with the need to avoid over centralisation and vulnerability. A thorough-going democratic practice based on grassroots structures, mandates, report-back and education can create a responsive and resilient organisation.

The alliances that CCSATU conceives of is an alliance between such organisations. We are all aware that these debates are not finally resolved. Amongst workers there is a great sense or urgency for them to be resolved. An alliance of such organisations is important since it will strengthen mass organisation and being structured from bottom to top it can accommodate political differences at local levels. It can also accommodate regional complexities. However, clearly political common purpose must be established at a national level - that is surely the purpose of the structure - its ability to act in unity against a repressive national State.

We cannot escape political differences and tendencies - they are the life blood of political thought. The expression of such views must be respected and protected. However, if democratic and representative structures exist then the decision of the majority must be fully respected. Political factions cannot make organisations their own property. The differences of view have to be fought out within the discipline of iQfiss based democratic structures not between a multitude of small contending organisations that have no prospect of shaking the power of imperialism.

In most organisations these lessons are still being learnt. There are undoubted problems. However, the more we structure mass based organisations the quicker will the lessons be learnt. Imperfections are no reason to delay involvement - the

Collection Number: AG3403 Collection Name: Non-racial Sports History Project, Transvaal

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