Sign Petition: Save Our Springbok!

We wrote the other day about lines that may not be crossed. Pretoria was one and the Springbok is the other. A petition has been launched to save the Springbok. What effect that will have will depend on the reaction of the public - you.

To sign the petition, log on to www.vf.co.za/springbok. I have.

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Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus leader, holds up a photograph in Parliament in which former president Mandela proudly wears a Springbok jersey. Dr. Mulder showed it to challenge Mr. Butana Komphela, chairperson of the Sport Committee in Parliament, to puke on Mr. Mandela's jersey following his remarks that he would also like to puke on the Springbok jersey.

Corné Mulder, Pieter Groenewald and Willie Spies, FF Plus Parliamentary Members, supported Dr. Mulder whilst wearing their Springbok jerseys. Dr. Mulder suggested during the incident, which had unleashed a lot of reactions, that a debate has to be held in Parliament about the abuse of the Springbok emblem. Comprehensive motion and petition follows below.

Debate on Springbok emblem asked for in Parliament and FF Plus launches a petition for the retention of the Springbok emblem.

Dr. Pieter Mulder, Leader of the FF Plus, submitted a motion for a debate about the Springbok emblem in Parliament. The motion reads as follows:

1. Because history proves that success on the sports field promote cooperation between groups and work against polarization,

2. Because this week is precisely a year ago that the Springboks were crowned the World Champions in France, and

3. Because rugby and the Springboks are one of the few team sports in South Africa who are world champions in their particular field of sports,

That this Assembly discusses the abuse of sport symbols such as the Springbok to cause more polarization and friction in South Africa as is seen from the irresponsible statements made by the honourable Mr. Komphela,

That in this discussion the Assembly honours former President Mandela who used sport and the Springbok to promote cooperation and harmony between groups, especially when he proudly wore the Springbok jersey with the 1995 World Championship,

That the honourable Komphela looks at this photograph of Mr. Mandela and realises that this is the jersey on which he wants to puke.

Dr. Mulder showed the Assembly a big full-colour photo of former president Mandela dressed in a Springbok jersey and said that he would be handing the photo to Mr. Komphela.

“Why does the ANC first want to destroy the Springbok emblem, but when they realise how many millions of rand the emblem is worth, minister Stofile suddenly wants to appropriate the emblem for the state?" Dr. Mulder asked.

“The current debate about the Springbok emblem is totally unnecessary and it smells of election positioning. The only thing that will be achieved is to create friction and polarization between South African communities”, according to Dr. Mulder.

The ANC often touches upon a controversial issue such as the Springbok emblem and sees what the reaction is.

If there isn't enough opposition to it, the changes are brought about very quietly.

The FF Plus believes that the overwhelming opposition which the FF Plus' campaign for the retention of the Springbok emblem had unleashed, contributes to the ANC stopping their campaign against the Springbok emblem.

The Freedom Front Plus has also launched an online petition in which it is asked that the Springbok emblem is retained. FF Plus Leader, Dr. Pieter Mulder, said the emblem had united South Africa on two occasions, during the World Rugby Cups of 1995 and 2007, more than any policy which the ANC had ever introduced.

Changing the emblem will not unite anybody, but will rather lead to further alienation.

The dissatisfaction which has already been expressed in letter columns and through petitions about this issue, attest to how far Stofile and Komphela are removed from how the rugby community really feels about the Springbok emblem.