NOT JUST CRICKET
Sticky wicket — Reinstate Teeger as SA U19 captain or we’ll escalate matter, demands DA
The Democratic Alliance has threatened to take Cricket South Africa to the South African Human Rights Commission if David Teeger is not reappointed as captain of South Africa under-19.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application to obtain the risk assessment report which Cricket South Africa (CSA) claims was the basis of relieving David Teeger of captaining South Africa Under-19 at the age group World Cup starting on Friday.
Teeger was stripped of the captaincy on Friday, a week before the start of the home tournament.
CSA said, “Protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament [and] … they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 (SA U19) captain, David Teeger.”
This comes after the 19-year-old last year dedicated his Rising Star Award received at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards to Israeli soldiers.
CSA launched an inquiry into his comments and independent advocate Wim Trengove SC cleared Teeger of any wrongdoing.
However, the threats of protests at the venues of the World Cup — such as Potchefstroom, where SA play their opening match against West Indies — have seen CSA rescind its decision on the captaincy.
CSA on Sunday announced that Western Province allrounder Juan James will take over as captain.
Contrary to CSA’s reasoning for relieving Teeger of “a risk that [the protests] could result in conflict or even violence”, an independent security analyst told Daily Maverick there was no direct risk of this.
The DA, clearly of the same opinion as the independent security analyst, has requested to see the risk assessment report that CSA has reportedly followed.
“This report is crucial to understanding the basis on which CSA made its decision to strip Teeger of the captaincy,” the party said in a statement on Monday.
“Recent media reports indicate a lack of tangible proof regarding any threats to the team, as senior officials responsible for securing cricket events and sources within the State Security Agency, police and security experts have all confirmed the absence of substantial threats.
“The association must divulge who their security analysts and experts are, the basis on which the decision was made, and specifics regarding the threats received that led to the decision.”
The DA threatened to “escalate the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)” if CSA does not reinstate Teeger as captain.
“The DA insists that CSA should prioritise the rule of law, protect the players’ rights to free expression, belief, conscience, and religion, and not succumb to threats or intimidation,” the statement further read.
“The party warns that allowing such a precedent to stand could lead to future unjust decisions based on arbitrary criteria. The DA remains committed to defending the principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights and will take all necessary actions to ensure justice and fairness prevail in South African sports.” DM
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Excellent! Go DA!
Except Ben the DA is being misled by self serving interests which gives a damaging image in quarters that might matter to the DA in the long term.
As a party that has aspirations to lead the country they should know better that sport entities are treated as a national asset in this country hence the appointed minister of sport who runs their affairs.
It is in their interest to makes sure their structures and teams are conversant with current policies the government apply when dealing with critical explosive conflicts, more so if they are within south Africa’s sphere of influence.
Opposition parties mustn’t seem to be interfering with the current government in power.
They are more than welcome to correct a proven wrong, perhaps a condemnation from ICJ which may or may not happen.
And on the other side of the fence Khawaja gets charged by the ICC. Time to get on with the game
Well done DA.
This kind of thing will not stop until the ANC are out of government.
Tragically, the ANC will never be out of power. National liberation movements tend not to allow themselves to be voted out. The ANC will use every means at its disposal, including the courts, to remain in power.
The principle of politics keeping out of sport should apply to both the DA and the ANC.
go ahead , since he was only dropped as captain , i would like to know the outcome
ANC politics at play here.
Anybody giving any thought to the young man who is the pawn in this political brouhaha? Politicians and activists on their high horses often forget that real people are involved.
This talented young man will, and needs to, emigrate.
Of course my previous comment will await moderation, by what DM claims are my peers, but actually nothing more than other contributors
What do you think peers means ? It is simply other contributors like you, not higher authority figures.
Well, there seems to be peers, and peers.
Yep. It’s a problem.
The DA remains committed to defending the principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights and will take all necessary actions to ensure justice and fairness prevail in South African sports. Definitely not about defending the principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights but defending the zionist racist narrative.
That’s a strange reply to a comment that didn’t mention the DA nor a bill of rights, and wasn’t anything to do with Teeger or with cricket.
What happened to freedom of speech? I don’t like what Russia is doing, am I now going to be threatened for expressing my personal view? DA if you can fix this country then you will now have my vote. No more for ANC.
Freedom of choice
OK… so say a young player of Russian extraction says, at a non-CSA function, that he considers Vladimir Putin to be a great hero of the 21st century, would you want him as captain? Would he be entitled to free speech or should he be told to zip it and, by the way, don’t even think about being captain?
Freedom of speech is easily talked about, but is not so easy to tolerate when it’s speech we don’t agree with. And we are never absolved of responsibility for what we say.
The South African Government has a pro Palestine stance on the conflict in Gaza. Every individual is free to have a different opinion and to express it. However , if that individual represents a South African national team it would better that that player not express his/her views publicly.
Wasn’t Khawalja not censored by the ICC for his pro Palestine stance, which differed from that of the country he represents?
As for the DA , the spawn of the Apartheid National Party, they are on the wrong side of history.
Chris you are confused re the DA being “the spawn of the Apartheid National Party”. That would be the ANC as they absorbed the NNP in 2001. The DA evolved from the Progressive party which was anti Apartheid from the beginning of it’s existence
The DA remains committed to defending the principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights and will take all necessary actions to ensure justice and fairness prevail in South African sports. Definitely not about defending the principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights but defending the zionist racist narrative.
Wow, can’t get more fascist than that – I demand my rights come first and I demand you don’t have any
I said, in a comment that is constantly not getting approved, that the DA are pretty selective about these rights. They uphold them in principle, but their application is pretty selective.
EG mother tongue education. This is an issue for many learners in SA, but the DA only get vocal about it when the learner is Afrikaans speaking.