The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, Ms Lindelwa Dunjwa, has called on members of the committee to sustain the impact of the Springbok rugby team’s World Cup win to bring about change in their constituencies.
“The comments of the head coach of the Springboks about pressure made one think. I think Members need to ask what is it that we could do to ensure that we sustain the momentum of what we saw at OR Tambo International Airport,” Ms Dunjwa said. The Springboks returned from Japan to a rapturous welcome at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday afternoon.
The committee is scheduled to meet today with the Compensation Fund to finalise the fund’s action plan. Unemployment and nutritional challenges are real problems, Ms Dunjwa said. “We all have to ensure the wellness in our workplaces and ensure nutrition for a child who plays sport.”
After the tournament win, Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus told the international community that in South Africa many things cause stress in people’s lives. This puts the possibility of losing a rugby game into perspective. The team decided, he said, to view their first-game loss against New Zealand in the light of what rugby could do to positively impact on the real pressures that South Africans face every day.
Ms Dunjwa said politicians should digest Mr Erasmus’s comments and ask themselves what this could teach them about engaging with challenges. “We must analyse the success of the Springboks in a way that will benefit the country and our children … [and] draw inspiration from what the Bok coach said as Members go on recess,” she said.
Sibongile Maputi
6 November 2019
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