Werner Prinsloo

“A COUNTRY THAT HAS LOST ITS WAY… There are countless examples, stories and images that can be shared about the things that are wrong in this beautiful country of ours. Normally, I read them, get angry, stew over them for a while and eventually lock that anger away with the many other emotions of disappointment and frustration that have accumulated over the years about what it sometimes means to be a South African. Tonight, however, I’m breaking my own rule. I feel compelled to take to social media to express my absolute anger and disappointment at the way we treat people in this country, and more particularly, the way we value (or fail to value) our sporting talent. In the first two photographs are two individuals who have become known as our so-called ‘super fans’ – Botha Masilela and Mama Joy Chauke. These two enjoy the privilege of travelling around the world to ‘support’ our national rugby, cricket and soccer teams. Travel which, as publicly reported, has been funded at the expense of the South African taxpayer through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. Now, look at the third photograph. That is Tatjana Smith – a two-time Olympic champion and the most decorated South African Olympian in our history. Let that sink in for a moment. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Tatjana won gold in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke, setting Olympic records in both events and a world record in the 200m. At Paris 2024, she once again demonstrated her extraordinary ability, winning gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m breaststroke. Add to that her World Championship medals and an extraordinary contribution to South African sport. And how have we treated this national treasure? Her experience with Swimming South Africa tells a rather different story. Following the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, where she earned $35,000 in prize money, Swimming South Africa withheld her earnings over a dispute involving a sponsor logo on her swimming cap. Although the principal amount was eventually paid, she had to resort to legal action to pursue the outstanding interest on the money that had been withheld. This was not simply about prize money. It was about a broader environment in which financial, administrative and governance problems made it increasingly difficult for a world-class athlete to sustain a high-performance swimming career. Tatjana has spoken about the financial and practical challenges of the system, and the importance of having an environment in which athletes have an opportunity to thrive, rather than simply survive. Her subsequent decision to pursue her sporting future under the Dutch system is an indictment of the circumstances that brought her to that point. And this is where my anger really sets in. We seemingly have no difficulty finding public money to send two self-appointed sporting celebrities around the world, but somehow struggle to create an environment in which one of the greatest sporting talents this country has ever produced can be properly supported, recognised and rewarded. What exactly are our priorities? What message does this send to the next generation of South African athletes? That you can dedicate your life to your sport, represent your country with distinction, win Olympic gold medals and bring international recognition to South Africa, yet still find yourself having to fight your own sporting federation for what you have earned? Meanwhile, we appear perfectly comfortable spending taxpayers’ money on travelling supporters. I have absolutely no objection to passionate supporters travelling to support our national teams. Quite the contrary. But should that really be a priority when our sporting institutions are failing the very athletes who make this country proud?