Mbalula missteps with 'drowning' Kenyan athletes comment

OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

Ulysses Everett McGill
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Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula has had a case of foot in mouth syndrome regarding Kenya's sporting acumen.

The ANC may have to apologise to yet another African country after a faux pas from one of its leaders.

Speaking at a breakfast briefing with editors in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula had a case of foot in mouth syndrome regarding Kenya's sporting acumen.

Mbalula was addressing journalists around the theme of social cohesion, when a reporter questioned the issue of some national teams remaining stubbornly white.

"You can't transform sports without targets," said Mbalula who has battled with the issue of racial quotas for some time. But at the same time, South Africa wouldn't be like Kenya and send athletes to the Olympics to "drown in the pool", he said in one bizarre moment that reminded some of ANC president Jacob Zuma's own faux pas over Malawian roads.

The comment was met with some titters in the room and an embarrassed grin from the rest of the assembled ANC leaders. The comment also drew some alarm on Twitter.

In October last year, Zuma spectacularly bungled a justification for paying e-tolls. Speaking at the ANC's manifesto forum at Wits University at the time, Zuma was questioned about the wisdom and logic of the e-tolling system that was soon after implemented. "We can't think like Africans in Africa. It's not some national road in Malawi."

Predictably, the remark caused a minor furore on social networks like Twitter, and more importantly, upset his counterparts in that Southern African country. Ntombile Mabude, South Africa's high commissioner to Malawi, was summoned to explain the statement.

Arrogance
The statement was regarded as characteristic of a general arrogance against the rest of the continent from South Africans, that was reflected in the ANC and its leaders.

"Zuma is merely airing an often shy and hidden reality of the perceptions and arrogance that many South Africans share," Ebrahim Fakir, a political analyst, told the Daily Maverick at the time.

The attitude is a slap in the face for many African countries who provided much support to the ANC in exile during apartheid.

If our diplomats are summoned in Kenya to explain the remark, let's hope an apology will be quickly forthcoming.
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This guy. :D
 
Really Fikile...

Honestly, you should just hire someone who has a brain to speak on your behalf, it would be safer.
 
But at the same time, South Africa wouldn't be like Kenya and send athletes to the Olympics to "drown in the pool",
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Is he implying that the swimming pool will look like any SA beach on New Years Day i.e. most black people standing around the edges and a few swimming?
 
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Nothing wrong with a bt of competitive tribalism amongst Africans...


*Ducks and runs for the hills*** :p
 
A news conference with Minister Fikile Mbalula and coach Pieter de Villiers would be a real blast I reckon.

:D
 
African's are far too sensitive, getting their pigtails in a twist over something so small.
 
"You can't transform sports without targets," said Mbalula who has battled with the issue of racial quotas for some time. But at the same time, South Africa wouldn't be like Kenya and send athletes to the Olympics to "drown in the pool", he said in one bizarre moment that reminded some of ANC president Jacob Zuma's own faux pas over Malawian roads.
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/checks forum

/notes it ain't Comedy Central

Oh what a blunder! Par for the course, unfortunately. :D
 
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