ANALYSIS
Cricket SA never took a principled stance on Teeger situation, and it backfired
A firm decision on Teeger’s position, either way, would have met with criticism from somewhere. That’s the nature of hard decisions. But it wouldn’t have devolved into a morass of buck-passing and fudging.
Insiders confirmed to Daily Maverick that David Teeger was removed as South Africa under-19 captain for the age group Cricket World Cup, starting in Potchefstroom on 19 January, due to political pressure — not because of the alleged “security concerns”.
Enock Nkwe and David Teeger during the South Africa U19 men’s cricket team capping ceremony at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria on 12 January 2024. (Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
Last week, CSA stripped Teeger of the South African captaincy over apparent threats of protests at games. It relates to his comments in support of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in the ongoing war in Gaza.
Read more in Daily Maverick: David Teeger stripped of captaincy ahead of Under-19 WC as threat of protests looms
After receiving the Rising Star Award on 22 October at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards at the Sandton Convention Centre, Teeger, the 2023 head boy of King Edward VII School (KES), said the following:
“Yes, I’ve been [given] this award, and yes, I’m now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.”
Seven days before the start of the tournament, CSA issued a statement on 12 January: “We have also been advised that they [protests] are likely to focus on the position of the SA under-19 captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors.”
That’s the beauty of living in a democracy — people have the right to object lawfully. These expected “protests” should be easily controlled with even a modicum of planning by law enforcement.
Using this “threat” as an excuse to strip Teeger as captain is a convenient cover-all by CSA. Attempts for explanations as to what these concerns are were ignored. Board chairperson Lawson Naidoo told Daily Maverick, in a text message, he had no further comment.
What makes this decision more illogical is that Teeger will remain in the team as a player. How is the security threat mitigated if he is still participating as a member of the team?
Credible threats?
Surely his mere presence in such a grave security situation won’t make supposed threats of violence disappear?
The reality is that there appears to be very little danger to Teeger or anyone else. Yes, there might be a few small protests, as there were at Newlands before the second Test between the Proteas and India over the situation, but nothing more.
Daily Maverick asked a prominent security company with vast experience in personal and event security, including at the highest governmental level, for input. Their expert opinion was that the threat to Teeger or anyone else at the under-19 Cricket World Cup was close to zero.
David Teeger of South Africa during the Men’s U19 Tri-Series, 3rd Youth ODI match between South Africa and India at Old Edwardians CC in Johannesburg on 2 January 2024. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)
They were also confused by the fact that Teeger, apparently the focus of this security crisis, remains in the team, or how stripping him of the captaincy reduces the supposed threats.
He’s still there, still set to play, and still part of the South African team.
Daily Maverick understands that CSA’s appointed security company did not recommend Teeger’s removal as captain or ejection from the team. Yet the South African Police Service claimed there is a threat.
Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa also met with Teeger privately last week, just days before he was stripped of the captaincy. That interaction has not been explained.
CSA passed the buck
The reality is that CSA failed to take the lead in this situation.
Teeger’s comments in support of the IDF were flagged by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) last November, which lodged an official complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, as well as CSA and Gauteng Lions Cricket.
The PSA wanted Teeger to be suspended from representing the national team following his “provocative, biased and inflammatory” comments.
If CSA believed Teeger’s comments went against its principles as an organisation, it could have taken internal action against him, stripped him of the captaincy and possibly removed him from the team. It would’ve drawn criticism. Now, far worse, CSA has elicited anger from all sides.
If CSA believed in the Constitution’s right to free speech, it could have backed Teeger on that principle. But it didn’t do that either. Its members simply displayed no principles on this emotive issue and instead tried to navigate some sort of middle ground underpinned by appeasement rather than principle.
CSA didn’t hold an internal disciplinary hearing. CSA didn’t make a decision about a player representing their team. Instead, it passed the buck and appointed respected advocate Wim Trengove to investigate the matter.
Teeger cleared
Trengove’s well-reasoned determination must have gone down like a fumbled catch at CSA head office because he cleared Teeger of any wrongdoing.
In a 44-page adjudicator’s determination, Trengove found Teeger had not breached any codes of conduct or acted unconstitutionally.
“The Constitutional Court has made the point that the right to freedom of expression does not protect hate speech, but emphasised that the expression of unpopular or even offensive beliefs does not constitute hate speech,” Trengove wrote.
Now, all of a sudden, it’s a security issue, according to CSA. And because it falls under the coverall of “security”, CSA can evade any questions about the matter.
David Teeger of South Africa during the Men’s U19 Tri-Series, 6th Youth ODI match between South Africa and Afghanistan at Old Edwardians CC in Johannesburg on 8 January 2024. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)
You may or may not think Teeger should be axed over his comments. But the reality is that the people who could have made that decision — CSA – have tried everything to avoid making it.
Its members are trying to appease supporters of Palestine, anti-war supporters and also the Jewish community. All they have succeeded in doing is angering people on all sides due to their own paralysis and lack of leadership.
Teeger’s comments were certainly offensive to people sympathetic to the plight of Palestine and Gaza; that is not in question. But it didn’t make them unlawful and it didn’t breach the CSA’s code of conduct, as they were made outside of the sporting arena.
CSA could still have taken a stand and removed Teeger because Teeger is selected by them. They have the right to select a team and a captain. But CSA couldn’t even do that. They wanted Trengove to pull the trigger, and he didn’t because he followed the law and the Constitution.
So, CSA waited until the 11th hour and hid behind alleged security concerns as a way to strip Teeger of the captaincy. And even then, they didn’t have the nerve to drop him from the squad completely.
A firm decision on Teeger’s position, either way, would have met with criticism from somewhere. That’s the nature of hard decisions. But it wouldn’t have devolved into a morass of buck-passing and fudging. DM
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This makes me very angry.
Teeger was speaking at a Jewish function for a Jewish community gathering.
This is much worse than buck-passing and fudging.
Call it out for what it is, despicable political interference and bullying.
The hypocrisy stinks to high heaven.
CSA must be forced to rescind the ludicrous decision.
My thoughts to Teeger.
Seems like the Jewish mafia stopped my comment being moderated. Typical.
Funded by ABSA
Bye,bye CSA,have watched cricket my whole life,but no more ,still got my rugby(how did a comment at a school reach the media,who leaked it?)
CSA lost me, also a lifelong cricket fan, when it started with its racist quotas. This turned to me actively despising the Quoteas when they took the knee in, groveling in front of their woke godlets. From then on, I took great joy every time the loathsome Quoteas lost, even against Aus.
There is a lot of hypocrisy in this world. On the other side of the world a Muslim cricketer is restricted by ICC for his stance and in South Africa there is a fight for the same offense. Surely there are no principles that guide this space.
I am afraid you are being mendacious. No one has stopped Khawaja from voicing his views. As with every other protest from the black armband protest in Zimbabwe, the ICC has been consistent that political symbols not be on uniforms and has discouraged political stunts being brought to the oval. Khawaja has spent months trying to “circumvent” ICC regulations including with the help of Cricket Australia but has failed.
It is you who seeks to restrict Teeger’s constitutional rights while upholding Khawaja’s by misrepresenting the Khawaja situation.
Try again.
No constitutional rights have been violated by CSA removing Teeger as captain? Teeger still retains his position on the team and still has his rights to freedom of speech.
Yet your people have threatened violence. How is Teeger being dropped as captain because he is Jewish but still remaining on the team going to change the security threat?
You seek to deny him his freedom of expression.
Of course his constitutional rights have been violated, he has been punished for exercising his right to free speech, he did not demean anyone, insult anyone or incite anyone to commit a crime
The issue is not the fact that he was stripped of captaincy. The issue is the reason and the process.
Correct, 100%
You are comparing a youth with an experienced man Get real!!
Cricket SA I has destroyed the game. Let them watch it themselves now at empty stadiums.
So ditzi Kodwa was also involved!
CSA seriously lacks ethical leadership.
Well written!!
The ANC is using every thing at their disposal to make political gains they forever side with the criminals like Russia, Hamas,Zanu PF, Cuba, and in the meantime their own country is going to the dogs
They need to side with these terrorist factions and countries, so when the lights finally go out in SA, inevitably, they have somewhere to go. Some devastating figures were published last week, that in peacetime, 26,500 people are murdered in SA, whilst 27,000 people are killed in gaza during war time. Why do the ANC not concentrate on their own crisis in SA, and protect it’s own people. Stop getting involved, ANC, you just making us look more ridiculous to the rest of the world
Craig Ray may be correct about his assumption that CSA used the security issue to remove Teeger from the captaincy but the rest of his claims that CSA should have removed Teeger in the first place for his stupid comments cannot be correct. CSA was sitting between a rock and a hard place when Teeger originally made his silly comments. It could not remove Teeger on the grounds of the statement he made otherwise it would be criticised and accused of gross discrimination and possibly face litigation by Teeger. This position still stands and hence the removal of his captaincy.
Teeger’s place in the cricket team is untenable, given the current situation of South Africa’s stance in laying a case of genocide against Israel with the ICJ and the overwhelming support it has received both at home and abroad. Teeger will also have to take into consideration the effect his stupid comments have caused psychologically to his teammates who may be Muslim or others who oppose those comments. I would suggest that the right thing to do would be for Teeger to resign from the team.
Teeger’s comments may be stupid to you and several others. However to me and many his display of loyalty to his own is commendable
So what you’re saying is that Teeger is not a South African but an Israeli? Effectively a Fifth Columnist who is undermining this country? Very interesting wouldn’t you say.
His own? He is South African right? So who is his own?
The position is tenable because it is free speech, not hate speech not against CSA’s code of conduct or the Constitution that Naidoo is known for protecting.
Whether SA’s official government position is supported globally is neither here nor there. It is time for SA to stand up and be counted for its non one sidedness.
By the way no one has condemned the military action in its entirety but the subjective so called “disproportionality” which SA unprompted has mendaciously characterised of being worse than that of its pal Russia in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, Ukraine.
Untenable or tenable is neither here nor there. If Teegers has the slightest bit of spine or would want to save that little bit he has of his reputation and respect, he would resign from the cricket team.
why is that?
So you also want to control speech. He is free to support who he wants like and I are. Politics and polititions should stay out of sport. He’s comments were made at an event that was by invitation only. If he had made his comments on the cricket pitch or took a political stance there then he should be disciplined.
Ag shame, you’re so easily triggered the words of a teenager at a private function set you off in a tizz
Teeger was cleared of misconduct by the enormously expensive enquiry. He has a constitutional right to freedom of expression and whether or not you like what he said or if it offends your delicate sensibilities is irrelevant. People threatening violence because they don’t like what he said should be of great concern but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
He has a Constitutional Right to Freedom of Expression but it is a right that can be partially limited in appropriate circumstances. I wonder where you stand on the DA’s dropping of Ghaleb Cahalia from the shadow cabinet, for his remarks?
There was no constitutional basis to limit what Teeger said as no rights were infringed. I don’t agree with limits, especially arbitrary and variable ones, being placed on freedom of speech and prefer the idea that if speech causes, or has the likely result of causing real harm, that it be dealt with by the courts. I would prefer the DA not to have dropped Cachalia.
There is a misguided political decision by the DA and then there is this decision by an apolitical body.
CSA inquiry cleared Teeger of any wrong doing as per its code of conduct and that of its affiliates. And he also did not go against the Constitution of the land. In the words of Mandela other people must not expect their enemies to be everybody’s enemies.
Teeger is brave and principled and what he said in a private setting must be of no concern. Oh and the ICJ issue has zero to do with it.
It is exactly because of political interference that our cricket teams get nowhere. The whole CSA board should be fired and start from scratch. We are losing legends like Quinton de Kock because of that. It is sad and it is concerning. I wonder if Rassie knows anything about cricket…….
Oh come on Dalene! Sweeping statements like yours just annoy those who are trying to be objective!
Check out correctly just why these guys have resigned.
That would require some effort .. which is for the birds … so to speak.
Do you Margi really believe that Quinton, Dean and Heinreich would reveal their real reasons to public discussion. Get real!!
go easy with the exclamation marks Malcolm!!!!!
Really!! Why did they resign.
We’re losing players because of simple economics. They can make a better living playing 20 over leagues and the odd spell in county cricket. The cricketing world is split in two now. On the one hand are Australia, England and India. On the other are the rest, the second class citizens, who must take the crumbs that fall from the big three’s table. As it is, the CSA have compromised their own rules on contracted international players by ruling that they are to be available for the entire SA20 series. This is probably a nice little earner for the players, but it means that we are sending a severely undercooked side, likely to get soundly thrashed, to New Zealand for a Test series.
The excuse about security is just an excuse. Firstly Teeger will still be present, and as much as a target as he would have been. Secondly, if CSA are expecting protests that may endanger the public or players, they should be beefing up security and ensuring that protestors are allowed to protest, as they should be, but without endangering others.
Lastly, I wonder if the freedom of speech defence would be made if it wasn’t Teeger, but some young Muslim player who’d stood up at a function and said he supports the brave warriors fighting in the Intifadah. What price freedom of speech then?
If it had been the other way around and the teenager had openly supported Hamas and their action there would be complete and utter outrage if the same thing was done to him as was done to Teeger
Indeed. The politicians who run our country bugger up pretty much everything they have control of. It’s little wonder that when they meddle in the affairs of sporting bodies that things go south.
Clearly CSA does not understand security assessments. Having the tournament in Potch with the students around makes it one of the safer places to be.
next Saffa to represent Aus/ Eng
I gave up on SA cricket in the Hansie era. Since then CSA has only excelled at struggle accounting, governance scandals and questionable fund raising schemes. This pathetic and transparent little stunt has written them off permanently for me. I wish Mr Teeger all the best with his cricket career and hope for his sake that it will be conducted somewhere far away from the abortion that is CSA.
I agree with you. Go to Australia
The tournament was move to SA due to the political interference of the Sri Lanka government in their Cricket body. The same has happened in South Africa and the tournament should be postponed and moved from the stewardship of CSA and the SA government.
This tournament is not being played in Sri Lanka because of political interference by their government in the game. South Africa must now also be suspended by the ICC for political interference. And of course this is a stain on the South African Constitution. Freedom of expression only means something if you don’t punish what you don’t like to hear.
Correct, but that would require a principled decision from the ICC.
World cup 2023: Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan dedicated win to Gaza after winning against Sri Lanka on Oct 10
What did David mean by saying: “…the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.” It’s worrying.
Nothing worrying about a young man acknowledging that the thought of a homeland that enhances his sense of identity is essential to his thriving. It is what for nearly 2 millenia has kept a scattered and often times, exiled oppressed people going.
You probably believe the and is a righteous and principled organisation too
Teeger is ‘young & stupid’. We’ve all been there ourselves &/or with our children. Unfortunately his cricketing talent has given him a platform most 19yr olds don’t have. CSA should have briefed properly him to stay out of political matters when speaking at public functions.
I agree. Not just politics either. I remember the anger rained down on Graeme Smith after he made some unguarded remarks, at what he thought was a private function, about Lance Klusener? It was all over the papers the next day. In an age where many folks have smart phones, the reality is that anything you say will get out, will be in the papers, on the chat shows, all over social media, and by the time you’ve got round to invoking freedom of speech or whatever, the damage is done and there’s just fires to put out.
In the aftermath Smith was given some counselling and told that he’d said may have been correct, but there was no longer any such thing for him as a private speech.
A few years later I saw Smith speaking at a private function where two dodgy questions, maybe innocent, maybe an attempt to set him up, came his way. He played them deftly and would not be drawn into giving his opinions either way about a certain bowler’s action or about things the umpires should or shouldn’t do. Because by then he knew that if he said “chucks” or even “doesn’t chuck” it’d be all over everywhere before the night was out. Same if he opined about the umpires and the exercising of their duties.
The whole U19 squad should have received some proactive briefing from CSA. The provinces also need to get with this program.
Good point, Undoubtedly life skills coaching should part of coaching, at junior level sport perticularly.
But bottom line is, one race, religion politics belief have no place in sport.
In would suspect that all the “muppets” that want this boy gone, would be the first to run to CCMA if they lost jobs due to their race, religion or their political beliefs.
It was NOT a public function?!
This former captain has the right to freedom of conscience on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
As a member, let alone captain, of a national team his own views necessarily have to be more considered.
At this level he failed. That is understandable as he is very young. All if us had said and done more ill-consideredthings at that and even at advanced ages.
Be that as it may, it should not be controversial that he is sacked as captain.
In fact he should perhaps not even be in the national team.
During the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa we campaigned for tge sports, cultural and economic boycott of Apartheid sports, culture and trade.
He is not being singled out as a person of a particular faith or belief.
One cannot represent the South Africa and hold views that are opposed the official government positions on the war on Gaza.
And the correctness of referring Israel to the ICJ for genocide is correct in law.
If one cannot believe that the life of a Palestinian baby in Gaza has the same value as the value of a Jewish baby in Tel Aviv then one ought not to represent South Africa.
One can hold bigoted views in private but not as a representative.
I would say the same to South Sfrican politicians who are racists and bigots and who have made a mess of South Africa itself. They do not qualify for leadership in the public sphere.
We live in a world that is torn apart, on the cerge of nuclear and environmental catastrophe with states unable and unwilling to meet the needs of ordinary people. Elites everywhere always have the means to find a way out.
We find refuge in our common humanity. We cannot defend a hierarchy of human worth.
Cricket South Africa should not fudge the issue. This young man is a good cricket prospect. He has leadership qualities
Leader’s provide a vision, they help people to work together and make small gains everyday
In his view Palestinians are less human than Israeli Jews. Those views very likely apply to South Africa as well. He has the right to those views. He has the right to be 100% wrong. But he cannot represent South Africa.
Well thought out opinion.
What an avalanche of nonsense you have just typed.
Exactly my thoughts
“In his view Palestinians are less human than Israeli Jews. Those views very likely apply to South Africa as well. ”
What a hateful and ridiculous stretch. There is nothing whatever in his statement that could rationally be used to infer the views that you accuse him of.
He is fully entitled to support Israel, as is any thinking and moral person. You are entitled to be 100% wrong, which you most certainly are.
What a lot of convoluted bollocks Mr C. Typical liberalistic claptrap in my opinion. I fail to connect supporting one side, means placing a lower value on another sides’ babies lives. But in retrospect it is sad that David made those comments, even though he has every right to do so and has broken no codes or laws. In this crazy, woke, mixed-up world just about any public comment will upset someone.
Not sure I would want to represent a team in these circumstances. I would pull out of the squad *for security reasons*.
Simple – up the security and support your (cleared) player. Lawson Naidoo is a national embarassment
We are talking here of a teenager who has taken a principled stance and has shown great courage in doing so. He does not have to agree with the government stance n the conflict in Gaza and to dismiss his comments as silly and stupid is itself asinine. As “mature adults” who should be showing him an honourable morally laudable way to approach life we are failing this young man dismally. It is instead he who has taken the moral high ground here and he is to be admired for it.
Disgraceful. Have the courage to punish him properly by removing him from the team. Security concerns are now laughable. Lawson Naidoo should resign. David Teeger should leave this Country and take his skills elsewhere. Sad day.
Question: Was Teeger ever intended to be THE captain or A captain? On the U19 side’s last tour the captaincy was split between Teeger and Juan James. James was captain for the two games that SA won.
Teeger prides himself on keeping shabbat. So would he have been available for SA’s match against Scotland which is on a Saturday?
In my view sport should not be used as a platoform to air political stand points, full stop. It was the same when players were being forced to “take the knee” for black lives matter – this just brewed up a whole lot of controvercy. Now a young player has spoken out of turn and now we have a whole lot BS again. If you are South African and a national player then you should be this first before any other affiliation and stay away from politics of any sort, local or international. You are in effect an entertainer – that is what you are paid for and that should be your only focus while you are in the limelight.
The comment wasn’t made at any sports event, it was at a private function
Yeah, we mustn’t countenance any wrong speak. Hopefully when all of the wrong speakers have been driven from the country we’ll achieve a politically correct state of right speak and right think will follow. That will be wonderful!
Lawson Naidoo should already have resigned after the Quinten de Kock insident. Long overdue
Couldn’t agree more with you, Mike. SA Cricket has gone to the dogs……and not because of the players!
Excellent article.
Agreed , we may get more about the backroom discussions after the ICJ decision. Also the private discussion between Teeger and Kodwa. If ICJ finds in SA’s favour all comments made by anyone ( Especially someone in a leadership position ) in relation to Israel and IDF actions in Gaza , have legal implications.
Malicious legal challenges to the SA Jewish community are the ANC’s next step. They are being expected. Perhaps they are even being prepared for. I’m sure they will be boisterously met and defended (as they were in the Hague) by the best legal minds. Whether our country’s judiciary is also captured by the pro-Hamas lobby, remains to be seen.
Hahahahahaha
Had the young man put on a keffiyeh and let out a few ‘from the river to the seas’ I doubt there would have been an enquiry and there most certainly wouldn’t have been any ‘security risks’. Freedom of speech under the constitution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if the government colludes with spineless sporting bodies to undermine it.
In this case “freedom of speech” means towing the government line and not expressing anything contrary. Reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s famous joke:
Someone in the Kremlin was asked: “Is it true that there is freedom of speech in the USSR just like in the USA?”
They answered: “In principle, yes. In the USA, you can stand in front of the White House and yell, “Down with Reagan!”, and you will not be punished. Equally, you can also stand in the Red Square in Moscow and yell, “Down with Reagan!”, and you will not be punished.”
There is no place for politics in sport. It appears that any rabble rousing group can now have national captains removed. I played in the same team as Jackie McGlew decades ago and his publicly expressed political views about the NP government were not exactly polite, but he kept his place. I would hope that the team , even though they are young men will adopt the approach as regarding this youth as their ‘de facto” on field captain. More experienced players would do so. Perhaps it is too much to expect that the newly appointed captain would turn down the post, but I know nothing about his ethics.
CSA have taken a cowardly stance. Teeger should have the right to his views as should anybody in a Democratic society. I understand his views as the are anti terrorist. Those who protest, on behalf of Palestine, should rather protest against all that is wrong in this their country. If this is not their country they should leave. Teeger never protested just stated his views
There are broader issues at play in this situation. A significant number of South African Jews express support for the state of Israel, a stance rooted in the historical context of the Holocaust and centuries of persecution in the diaspora. Some argue that considering their history, the Holocaust might have been prevented had there been a State of Israel.
The ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis represents an enduring historical dispute, with varying perspectives depending on one’s location, political affiliations, and personal beliefs. The decision to remove David Teeger as captain is viewed as a direct threat to the South African Jewish community.
For the 52,300-strong Jewish community, this action suggests that supporting Israel is not only unpopular but also deemed illegal. In South Africa, backing Israel is equated to creating a public disturbance, akin to shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre. The dilemma now is whether to align with the ANC philosophy, which implies that supporting Israel could hinder one’s chances of holding prominent positions of power. This leaves the Jewish community in a quandary about their future within South Africa under the current government.
Next comes the following scenario, as has been played out in history many times before. Ruling party needs a scapegoat to divert attention away from their own failings. Guess who that always is? Tweek history a bit with some clever rhetoric and who really looted all your land and money in SA? Who actually caused apartheid? Who really caused all the problems in SA and who actually made you all poor (like they do to everyone in the world)? Not the ANC, of course – we are the saviours. It was the “you-know-who’s”. First claim the moral high ground (sell your soul, go to the Hague, doesn’t matter win or lose). Then innocuously block sportsmen or professionals because they’re Jewish. Then Jewish business boycotts. Then low-brow antisemitism seamlessly transforms from antizionism (chose which country you are loyal to, why are you sending your children to Israel?). Then it gets progressively more sinister. Before you know it – 52,300 is down to nil.
Well said.
I pray that this never happens
Look who runs Cricket SA What do expect?
Definitely trying to curry favour with god knows whom. Sad
Anti-Semitism. Plain and simple! Disgusting 🤮.
The comment was made a Jewish Acheivement Awards ceremony. Trengrive was selected by CSA. Being
bullied by a intolerant minority,
who threaten . Security is convinient excuse from the spineless.
Lets be free and democratic and appreciate there may be people who think diffetently.
The members of Cricket South Africa have displayed spineless sportsmanship and leadership in the Teger case. Ray’s excellent article raises an important question. Has Lawson Naidoo got the necessary backbone to make hard decisions and lead Cricket South Africa? He might be better suited as a politician
A government in free-fall; a country teetering on failed-state status – Mr. Teeger, like any other successful young South African, needs to begin thinking ( if he hasn’t already) about immigrating to a civilised nation, where his talents will be recognised, and he will not be scape-goated.
Exactly!
Teeger’ s comments were highly appropriate and if he wants to mix sport with politics, then accept the consequences. A captain needs judgement: could one really believe that he could/would treat Muslim players fairly? The thing that floors me is the ABSA Jewish Achievements Awards – is there any other exck2usive religious award in the country? This is the real issue. Why does ABSA sponsor this and is it fair to its customers and shareholders to sponsor any event that isn’t secular.
ABSA has an Islamic Banking Product. Why should they not be a sponsor of a Jewish event? Why should a company not sponsor women tennis, or men’s hockey, or disabled basket ball? Or Miss SA for that matter? Or should companies just sponsor secular and genderless events? And produce secular products?
Lawson’ Naidoo’s twitter posts demonstrate that he has no qualms about taking political positions. Of course these are the “right” positions. The good positions. The pure ones. So no problem. No requirement for him to be “investigated and cleared”.
Lawson Naidoo refuses to “dignify accusations of antisemitism” with a response. Telling.
The ANC’s incompetence and corruption is morphing into something far more sinister.
It’s not morphing – it’s here.
Oldest hatred in the world, dressed up in new clothes. The most tried and tested formula to deflect from a failed state and consolidate power. Expect the antisemitic slippery slope to ramp up aggressively – their “friends” (both locally and internationally) are a nasty bunch
What an excellent article well written Craig, researched, and as clear as a bell. The truth shall always prevail in the end, does CSA really think we are all idiots like them😏😏
Permanent moderation is a tool to silence the truth.
The truth is immortal.
Just the begining.
Soon no beer sales in stadiums.
Women will have to cover up.
For security reasons!
As a National captain, David Teegar should have been informed that his comments would be seen as offensive to many. I blame his advisors for not providing the correct advice to him.
Lawson Naidoo is the CSA chair and he has the final say. Maybe the minister of sport arm wrestled him to get rid of Teeger. Whatever it was, I regret to say Lawson Naidoo, besides being a rabid antisemite, is a gutless COWARD.
South Africa is a nation for all, so I am told. That is of course if you belong to the ANC or to the Islamic Religion. Anyone else needs to get permission in the land of free speech to have their say.
Viva the soldier’s of Israel. I trust they knock the S>>t out of the hamas baby killers.
Cricket South Africa is in any case just another ANC stooge.