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The story – broken on David Isaacson’s fantastic sports blog - that Beast Mtawarira should be booted out of the Bok team because the Sport Minister, Makhenkesi Stofile, feels that his South African citizenship should not be expedited is a great illustration of what’s wrong with this country’s attitude to foreign skills.
Here’s a man who is obviously more than the best at this job – he has already played 15 tests for the Boks and is a force to be reckoned with in the tight five – but not good enough to become a South African because we think we should find a local who can do the job.
This is just another species of the short-sightedness that keeps foreign skills desperately needed in our economy out of the country. We should be proud of the fact that we a destination for those with skills and we should not only be welcoming them to our shores, we should be actively seeking them.
Imagine if the All Blacks refused to allow Pacific islanders to play in their set up because they were foreigners? What about South africans who turn up for France, England and Wales?
What a joke.

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Comments

 

Mark

November 12, 2009 at 8:13 am

This is what our esteemed ‘intelligent’ government is doing to nurses, doctors, IT skills, engineers.

Heck if you are South African they are encouraging us to leave, if you arent, then they REALLY dont want your skills. The rest of the world will accept gleefully accept these people because they know what they can do for their country.

Makhenkesi Stofile – get a brain, your current one is broken.

 

Martin Smith

November 12, 2009 at 10:41 am

OK so lets accept this as fact.So if it applies to players it must also apply to coaches So Bafana coach, swimiimg coach etc must also go! Or maybe it is just Stofile flexing his arm against rugby again because his brother didnt get the job-got beaten in election by Hoskins
Even better as rugby is the only sport that the government doesnt own maybe it is time for SA Rugby to say up yours and form an independent league. The IRB in their consitution forbids political meddling in team selection so if SA Rugby went to them and said this is what we are doing and as S A Rugby own the name Springboks we could have a side called Springboks. That way the Government would have a side called Proteas and they would play against Zimbabwe or Paraguy while the Springboks would play England or All Blacks What so you think

 

Kwezi

November 12, 2009 at 12:58 pm

I read the ministry’s response and I must say its a rational response.SARU wants his citizenship expedited.Why was this not done earlier as you put it, the guy has played 15 tests.Why are they making their lack of planning the ministry’s problem.His application is not being denied it just won’t be expedited.Stop creating the impression that it is being denied.Shame on you!!

 

Ray Hartley

November 12, 2009 at 9:42 pm

you do make a very good point, Kwezi

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    I am Ray Hartley, the editor of The Times, South Africa, a daily newspaper which was launched in June 2007 under the Sunday Times umbrella. I'm also the editor of Times LIVE.

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