Sport Politics: Attack on 'arrogance' of whites

BLACK opinion is divided about the future of South African rugby after the provocative singing of the South African national anthem 'Die Stem' by white supporters before last Saturday's Test against New Zealand in Johannesburg.

Saturday's Test in Cape Town against Australia will take place, following discussions between the African National Congress and the rugby unions, although Steve Tshwete, the ANC sports spokesman, argued for calling it off. 'The white community is not prepared to accept the hand of reconciliation,' he said. 'Rugby fans deserve to be punished.'

Ngconde Balfour, general manager of the South African union's development programme in the townships, said: 'The arrogance of white South Africans is too much to bear sometimes. I feel like resigning but have decided we must continue doing what we're doing so that black kids get the chance to play for South Africa. We ourselves didn't have that chance because there were laws that stopped us.'