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The South African Communist Party (SACP) conveys its message of heartfelt condolences to the family of Norman Mbiko, a South African rugby legend who died in the early hours of Tuesday aged 79. The SACP also sends its message of condolences to the entire rugby fraternity and the people of South Africa for the loss.

Norman Mbiko was the last captain of the African (black) Springboks and a former head coach of the Blitzboks. The “African Springboks” was a team consisting of only black rugby players, as successive colonial and apartheid policies segregated black South Africans from their white counterparts, resulting in the formation of two governing bodies, in the process denying black rugby players access to developed rugby pitches and training facilities. There could be no normal sport in that abnormal society.

Under the racist apartheid system, like many black South Africans, Mbiko and his family suffered repeated arbitrary evictions from their land and later settled in Nyanga on the Cape Flats. Notwithstanding the injustices he faced, the apartheid system failed to dent his passion for rugby, which he pursued till he breathed his last.

At the age of 21, he was selected to play for the African Springboks and, over the next 16 years, accumulated 30 national appearances, captaining the team from 1969 and competing with tough opponents across the globe. In 2000, he became South Africa’s first black senior national coach since the re-admission of South Africa to international rugby in 1992 when he took charge of the Blitzboks midway through their inaugural World Series campaign. Under his guidance, the team achieved a runners-up finish in Paris and a fifth-place overall ranking that season.

Following his retirement as a player, Mbiko took it upon himself to help develop youngsters for the sport in his community and beyond; his own efforts towards the transformation of rugby. This was happening within the context of a society which still harboured racist apartheid apologists who held deep-rooted beliefs in racial segregation and the subjugation of black people to white supremacist rule, elements which were keen on maintaining apartheid policies within rugby and the rest of South African society.

About 33 years since the re-admission of South Africa to international rugby, true qualitative transformation remains elusive on all levels of the game. In terms of a 2024 internal audit of SA Rugby’s Strategic Transformation Development Plan 2030, the Springboks failed to meet their 2023 transformation target of 54 per cent for “generic black players” – which includes coloured and black African players – of whom 27 per cent had to be “ethnic black players”.

In the Rugby Championship, the Bok team consisted of 39 per cent “generically black” players, of whom 13 per cent were “ethnic black players”, and at the World Cup they fielded 38 per cent “generically black” players, 16 per cent of whom were “ethnic black players”. This points to a deep-rooted problem, not least due to South Africa’s colonial and apartheid legacy which still contains anti-progress elements within the system.

In memory of Norman Mbiko, the SACP calls upon the government, through its respective departments, including the sport and basic education departments, to speed-up transformation and enhance quality and high performance in all sport codes. This should include ensuring access to proper facilities for young people – particularly in the townships and rural areas – as well as developing the necessary expertise.

Issued by the South African Communist Party,