SPORT AND POLITICS - MANDELA AND TRUMP

The marriage between sports and politics, long been consecrated, was never more evident recently when two world championship events, one in Washington and another in Japan, were decided. Both were central to the contrasting narratives of two of the most transformative figures of contemporary political history, South Africa's Nelson Mandela and the USA's Donald Trump. 

Each clash involved the iconic sports of their respective countries, rugby in South Africa and baseball in America. Seminal sporting encounters can be opportunities for politicians to bolster their influence or legacies or have them defined for them. The two monumental contests just decided served to illustrate the diametrically opposed impacts of two of the figures that have, in living memory, dominated the world stage. The Washington Nationals won the baseball World Series having started as the distinct underdogs while the South African "Springboks", emerged triumphant in the world rugby cup, having been written off following their disastrous record preceding this tourney. 

Both sports, baseball and rugby, while not dominant on the world scene are regarded with almost religious reverence in their respective countries. Scenes of hysteria accompanied both outcomes. In Washington where the current mood is sombre and where sports teams rarely deliver to their fanatic following, the citizens flooded into the streets immediately afterwards and in their subsequent victory parade. In South Africa, which is experiencing an ongoing political crisis, the internet was jammed with literally thousands of skits, tributes while there were never ending ecstatic celebration as tens of thousands packed stadiums in South Africa to watch the match live and on their heroes' return hail them in city after city. 

Baseball has a long association with the Presidency of the United States. There is an oft repeated myth that the supposed founder of the game was present at Lincoln’s deathbed. The dying President was falsely attributed as whispering, “Keep baseball alive the country needs it”. Subsequent Presidents were indeed connected with the game. Each and everyone performed the ceremonial custom of throwing an opening pitch at an important game. Only Donald has not done so but he did attend one of the seven nail biting games in the World Series.... but that is only a small part of this story

Rugby in South Africa is a cultural beacon. South Africa had been dominant even prior to Wold War 11 and continued its international superiority even after the election of the apartheid Nationalist government in1948 when segregation became legally entrenched. In spite of world opprobrium white South Africa teams managed to play up till the 1980’s when the International Rugby Board placed a kibosh on their participation. In 1995 Nelson Mandela the first President of a non apartheid South Africa was present to award the World Cup Championship trophy to South Africa who won it for the first time.... but that is only a small part of this story

Both Trump’s and Mandela’s attitude and involvement in sport are reflective of their ethos. Jay H. Ell is  going to devote much of this piece on Mandela's legacy and the positive impact it had on South African politics and what affirmative bounce South Africa’s fairy tale victory in Japan may have on its current situation. 

THE HISTORIC BACKGROUND TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY WORLD CUP VICTORY - MANDELA’S STORY

 It helps if you were born and educated in South Africa and are a sports lover to fully understand the almost spiritual event that has just taken place in Yokohama, Japan.  The story goes back to the election that elevated Mandela to the Presidency. The latter election was the first one he was registered to vote in a South African election. He personally had suffered and been humiliated by the Nationalist government as had the black South Africans who stood, sometimes a whole day to join him celebrating their newly won franchise. Yet Mandela’s objective was not for revenge but rather to unify the country and allow everyone to enjoy their citizenship. 

Rugby was a South African religion and had become closely identified with the white supremacy. Blacks rarely played the game. Like everything else it was segregated and the only race that qualified to represent South Africa was the white one. The rugby icon, Danie Craven, had once maintained a black would never don the iconic green and gold jersey. (He subsequently recanted and was involved in the transformation and integration of the sport). So much was the anger towards the white South African team and what it had represented that black South Africans supported the opposing countries though out the apartheid era up until even the first year of the Mandela Presidency. Prior to the World Cup Mandela had already exhibited conciliation by insisting that the South African Rugby team should be known under its historical name, “The Springboks”, as opposed to changing it due to the apartheid connotations.

1995, the first year of Mandela’s Presidency, coincided with the World Rugby Cup being held in South Africa. The South African squad contained only one member who was not white. Mandela recognizing what culturally the sport meant to white South Africans and what a unifying impact his identifying with the team might mean, invited the South African captain into his office sharing with him his belief that winning the World Cup would help unite the nation. The newly elected President then read to the Springbok captain, Francois Pienaar, a British poem entitled Invictus which had inspired him in prison. (The whole saga was immortalized in Clint Eastwood’s motion picture, “Invictus”).

SOUTH AFRICA WINS THE 1995 WORLD CUP - PIENAAR’S STORY

The home team were very much the underdogs in the championship. Mandela maintained constant contact with the members both in their preparation and during the early rounds. The squad was taken to Robben Island where the South African leader had been imprisoned for twenty  - seven years. They went to black townships to encourage the youth. Pienaar who had been brought up to believe that the transformative head of the nation was a terrorist was inspired and moved. All of his team did not totally share his conversion and baulked at learning the new South African National anthem which was to be played together with the old at the games. 

When South Africa won the final in extra time against their traditional rivals New Zealand, Mandela presented the trophy wearing a Springbok Rugby Jersey with the number six on the back - Pienaar’s number. Pienaar was dumbfounded and humbled when the President thanked him for what he had done to help unify the country. The irony was that the President was one of the few black South Africans in the capacity crowd.

BETWEEN 1995 AND 2019 - ERASMUS’S STORY

Mandela chose only to serve one term and while South Africa won the coveted world championship in 2007 its rugby steadily deteriorated together with its politics in the twenty first century. Like so many other countries in the new millennium the ruling party sunk into corruption. To cut a long story short early in 2019 Cyril Ramaphosa was elected to the Presidency. Ramaphosa who had been Mandela’s choice to be his successor nearly two decades ago, finally ascended to the leadership. 

During Mandela’s term a figure who was to play a central role in South African Rugby “Rassie” Erasmus made his debut for the national team. The team had a sensational run following the world cup victory and he captained it on a few occasions. Erasmus had thirty - six international appearances with the last one being in 2001. Then followed a career in coaching culminating in his appointment as head coach of the Springboks in 2018. It is not unfair to characterize his new charge as being in total disarray. Such was their dismal record that his appointment had been preceded by the previous coach being summarily fired. 

In a short space of time he cobbled together a world beating side but more importantly he saw the social and political significance of what a winning Springbok team might represent to a demoralized nation. His boldest move was the appointment of Siya Kolisi, the first black captain of the team. He stuck with Kolisi whose form was not that great in the earlier world cup games. Erasmus subsequently revealed that this had been as a result of a niggling injury. Kolisi would not only lead South Africa to victory he would become recognized as an ambassador on and off the field for the sport and as a symbol of unity between the populations. By the time of the Japanese world cup, black player involvement in the game had increased to the extent that they numbered eleven of the South African rugby squad. 

YOKOHAMA JAPAN WORLD CUP 2019 - KOLISI’S STORY

The writing appeared to be on the wall from the first game when South Africa, ranked seven in the world at the time, suffered a defeat against their long time rivals New Zealand, the favorites. Fortunately for the Springboks this set back did not eliminate them as the contest was not in the knock out stage of the event. In the latter phase they were blessed with a favorable draw and with each match they grew with stature and confidence. In the final they severely trounced England playing the same type of grinding rugby that had been a feature of South Africa’s success in the twentieth century. This resulted in the majority of points coming from penalty kicks. However there were two magical tries, (touchdowns), reflecting the genius of their two wings, (wide receivers for American Football fans). One was scored by Makazole Mapimpi and the other by Cheslin Kolbe, both players of color.

However what followed was reminiscent of the 1995 final when Kolisi wearing the same number six that Pienaar had worn lifted the trophy with Mandela’s protege Ramaphosa, also in a Springbok rugby jersey adorned with the number six, in attendance. Like Mandela the newly elected Premier hoisted the trophy with Kolisi. The captain Kolisi had begged the head coach Erasmus to share the handing over of the trophy with him, but the latter refused leaving that moment to Kolise alone. 

The story of Siya Kolisi became viral. From a poverty stricken childhood he had obtained a scholarship to attend a prestigious school in the Eastern Cape. This began his long haul on the ladder of success. He now was in a position to talk of unifying the nation. He claimed it was a privilege not a burden to fight for South Africa. Francois Pienaar was there too and the reminiscing of the 1995 final and Mandela was irresistible as the media reminded those who may have forgotten. 

Both Pienaar and Kolisi had spoken about a team that would show the example by uniting players from different backgrounds and it was the 1995 leader that suggested that the team do a victory lap through the cities of South Africa. Pienaar must have noted that each and every player now lustily sung the words of the "new" South African national anthem, “Nkosi Sikeleli Africa”  as well as the old anthem, “Die Stem”.

 DIVISIVENESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SPORTS - TRUMP’S STORY

Trump is best known for his love of golf and the seventeen golf clubs that he owns. He also has a history of involvement in professional wrestling which fits far more closely to his image. His Presidency has been punctuated with confrontations with black athletes and winning sports teams, most of whom have resisted the traditional visit to the WhiteHouse. He has exploited for political gain sensitive situations such as the kneeling of National Football League players, who were protesting a rash of deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police. This intervention had the effect of making a bad situation worse. He waded in boots and all at his rallies making the task of a ham handed  NFL executive even more difficult to cope with the explosive situation that the angry black players had created. American football is the biggest ticket item in American entertainment and the team membership like that of basketball is dominated by African Americans. 

Somehow or another they got him to shut up and stop attacking black athletes so other than the fact in the last week he attended one of the Washington National baseball games and a professional boxing event his sports involvement has been limited to his frequent golf outings which according to a golf tracking site are approximately twice a week. His attendance at the Washington baseball game which was flashed onto the screen was greeted by “Lock Him Up” and sustained booing. While his spectatorship at the boxing event was punctuated by both cheers and boos. In Southern Alabama at a football game his presence was greeted with cheers. Divisive!

It is fair to say that like in all his other involvement with the American citizenry he has not attempted to unite the nation through sports. Can you imagine Donald Trump playing a unifying role through sport? Could he learn to listen and empathize?

AT THE END OF THE DAY  - RAMAPHOSA’S STORY.

Lest anyone harbor the misconception that Mandela was a soft pushover, they should read his dignified, defiant and uncompromising statement to the Court when found guilty of "treason". There he respectfully explained why he had turned to violence in his fight for equality as all his and his party’s activity had been declared illegal. His legal team advised that this approach could be regarded as confrontation and force the court to impose the death penalty. The self same Mandela, who had dramatically proclaimed that the justice that he lived for was also the justice he was prepared to die for, walked the walk in every circumstance, for example he insisted on treating his Afrikaner prison warders with respect and when released saw to it that they gained employment. 

 South Africa’s task to right the ship after nearly two decades of corruption has a long way to go. Cyril Ramaphosa has to be grateful for Siya’s and Rassie’s help. Jay H. Ell can imagine Nelson Mandela, wearing his number six Springbok jersey, heaving a sigh of relief from up above that Ramaphosa is finally at the helm. 

Prince Harry long a friend of South Africa and admirer of Mandela, having attended his ninetieth birthday bash in Hyde Park London, congratulated the South African President wishing him “luck". He rather undiplomatically added that "he needed it"!