UCB close ranks over quota row

The committee is headed by Dr Andre Odendaal, who has strong links with the ANC and has been at the forefront of the UCB's transformation programme during the last 15 months.

On another, related front at least ``four players of colour'' are likely to be included in the South African A team, to play the West Indies in Pietermaritzburg and starting next Saturday. The side is to be announced today with the national selectors under siege for failing to included out of form players in the side.

And if Boland's Charl Willoughby was indeed the selectors choice as a standby replacement for the injured David Terbrugge four days ago, he is likely to be preferred to Border's Makhaya Ntini, although whether a coloured is acceptable depends on your point political persuasion.

The announcement by Dr Ali Bacher, the UCB's managing director, that a transformation charter would be unveiled at Newlands on January 2 before the fourth test against the West Indies is seen as a the UCB's reply to threats to legislate against the so-called racial bias in sport by the selection of ``lilly white teams''.

Lullu Xingwana, chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee of sport, said the development programme had failed and then personalised her comments with a some interesting comment about how the ``Pollocks of this world have gained their popularity at the expense of black people''.

Although some of her statement can be seen, with the election looming six months down the line as an uncouth form of political posturing, attacking targets, systems and people without an in depth examination of those involved, Ms Xingwana was quick focus on importance of the quota system only a few days after it was rejected by young sportsmen ``of colour'' because of the ``stigmas attached'' to such a system.

Whether yesterday's transformation statement by the UCB, who today and tomorrow put their strategy together, is likely to please Ms Xingwana is not the point as the UCB are not facing an election. It has met with universal approval among the ``coloured'' community. Omar Henry, who played in the World Cup in 1992 ands tour the West Indies on the first historic, feels the people who make up the committee ``contains the right mix'' and who would not lose sight of the bigger picture.

``If this committee, or something similar, had been formed in 1993 I feel we would have gone a long way to solving the problems which we now have,'' he said.

As for the South African A teams, players such as Ashwell Prince, Victor Mpitsang and Finlay could find their way into the team, not as an act of apeasement or on the quota or affirmative action system but on merit.

A likely 12 could be:

Sven Koenig, Ashwell Prince, HD Ackerman, Martin van Jaarsveld, Finley Brooker, Nic Pothas, Nicky Boje (capt), Lance Klusener, Charl Willoughby, Victor Mpitsang, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini.