c S o a f/ i cAfoican (Sports dissociation (Fo rm e d 1 9 5 8 ; t? 5 AUo i^t)3
All communications
AFFILIATED AND years ago when SASA was formed at East London in October, 1958.
SUPPORTING BODIES To have come thus far in the work for true sportsmanship and in ternational recognition for all our sportsmen has cost a great ieal of sacrifice in time*energy and money and we are grateful S.A. Weightlifting and for the support we have received from sports bodies and sportsme Bodybuilding Federation }ur work too, has been hampered by the negligence of certain national officials and we have encountered considerable diffi S.A. Athletic and culty as a result of police interference. Cycling Board Thus it is that Mr Dennis Brutus, who has been ©ailed the 'nnov- Lng spirit" in the fight against racial sport, founder and for- S.A. Soccer Federation ner Secretary of SASA and ex-president of SAN-ROC (he has been forced to give up these positions as a result of police bans) is unable to share in the work as we move steadily towards our S.A. Softball and goal, an d he w i l l be facing trial on 5th September. Baseball Federation SASA wishes to assure him, however, that we fee l that he is still with us in spirit, inspite of the fact that he has been
S.A. Netball Board rendered useless as the result of police action, and that we will remember and be grateful for his services in the past. We are cijnvinc^d that he will continue to serve our cause whenever it is possible for him to do so.
S.A. Lawn Tennis In recognition of his past services, S\SA is anxious to make a Union presentation to Mr Brutus, and we ask all sports bodies and sportsmen to contribute to this presentation. We ask all sport£ a S.A. Table Tennis bodies and sportsmen to write and join us in letter of tribute
Board which we intend to present to Mr Brutus, together with the pre sentation , f>n the occasion of the fifth anniversary of SASA. please writ* soon and let us have whatever donations you can give. Yours in the cause for non-racial sport. C~P\ Q nycoO Q m t f ______president, South African Sports Association. 13 August, 1963.
Mr* C.g. Cooper, 3 Burg Street, m L I N O T O N . Cape.
Dear Mr. Cooper, h ,, v , fry thanks for y°ur letter explaining why there had been a delay in replying to my letter to Mr. de 7os asking for some information oonoerning himself and his sporting oareer. si*. J" WaS Yery interested to read your letter, and am grate- detailar U y°Ur °ffer °f h0lP ln lettin« me have the necessary
„___. . „ Ho"*T®r» 1 41d writ8 similar letters to a number of *°n-Whi tesportsmen, and as so very few of them replied, decided to omit the biographical' section from the booklet on sport that I was preparing. The booklet is now with the printers. Very many thanks, and best wishes.
Tours sinoerely,
Mary Draper (Miss), BBSEARCH ASSISTANT. 1, Dorp St., Gape Town. 27th September, 1963. Miss M. Draper, c/o S.A. Insttitute of Race Relations, 0 0 $F P B o x 97, Johannesburg.
Dear Miss Draper, I'm so sorry about failing to write to you about your memorandum on race and cricket. I wonder whether my comments now are in time to be of assistance.
In phoning around to try to get confirmation of some of your facts I was told by a member of the S.A. Cricket Association’s Executive that you had sent a memorandum to them for checking but that they had not yet replied. I gather that they appointed a couple of people to try to assist you but these lived at opposite ends of the country and had found it difficult to get the necessary information to confirm or correct your facts. At any rate they are apparently sending you their comments. I have commented on some of your points in the margin of the memo you sent me. Here are some further comments.
1. This last season in England (1963) there were at least 4 non-white cricketers playing professional cricket in England: Basil D'Oliviera; Cecil Abrahams; K. Neethling; and G. Abed. I think these are all coloured cricketers from the Gape.
2. Apparently after the non-white Cricket Board of Control applied to the I.C.C. for recognition and the I.C.C. replied to the effect that they did not know enough about the non-white body, the latter negotiated to bring out a West Indian side to play against non-white sides here in order to show the standard of non-white cricket. I think Dr. Donges was Minister of the Interior at the time and he indicated that the government would grant the necessary visas, provided that the ’.Vest Indian side played against non-white teams only - or at any rate not against mixed teams. Preparations for the tour went very far. For instance here in Cape Town agreement had been reached, subject to one or two details, for the game to be played on the test ground at Newlands. However the S.A.S.A. was opposed to the tour on the ground that it weakened the fight for completely non-racial sport and they in the end managed to get the tour cancelled. My coloured informant here tells me that the pressure put on members of the Board of Control to cancel the tour included threats of personal violence and threats to burn their houses down. I think it was unfortunate that the tour was cancelled as it would have done a great deal for non-white cricket.
<*» It* t* Ha Wyjtf tsh N>S^ In fact I think the S.A.S.A.’s tactics have been misguided^and I would be happier if you devoted less space AJ- to their activities. Prom a practical point of view I y^i't . think there is much more to be gained by other methods than theirs.
If you care to try me again on any points I’ll try and give you what I can by return .'
Yours sincerely,
C.B. van Ryneveld. C3ICE5T.
COUTROLLIITG BODIES.
The body controlling cricket within the
Commonwealth is the Imperial Cricket Conference
to which only Commonwealth countries may belong. South Africa lost her membership of the I.C.C.
when she left the Commonwealth in 1961. The present members of the I.C.C. are England, Aus
tralia, lew Zealand, India, Pakistan and the West Indies. South Africa which started playing test cricket in 1889 baa never played against India,
Pakistan and the West Indies for reasons connected with the colour bar (South Africa*s objection to playing against ITon—White teams? Or these other countries unwillingness to play against South
Afrioa because of the exclusion of Non-Whitss from the team? 9r what?).
White crioket in South Africa is controlled by the S.A. Cricket Association which has no Bo»-White members or Bon-White affiliations of any sort.
Non-White cricket is governed by a Cricket Board of Control which until recently was composed of four national units catering respectively for Africans, Indians, Coloured and Malays* In 1958* it took a resolution to replace the racially—based units with nott-raeial provincial bodies, and al though efforts have since been made in this direc-
u.10 •“ft"' ’ (la the Cricket Board of Control affiliated to S .A .S.A.?).
(How does the M.C.C. figure in the pioture? It h ^ I Vs" . , is » accepted as the authorative source of cricket * A - 2 - : r*-C c ' so far as "recognising" the status of teams (k < f K> l , ?+- v,>r^S from different countries? A memo, submitted li-x )>*- by S.A.S.A. to the International Olympic Com yjLO''1 mittee outlining the background of the different sports in S.A. says that "about 1955 the CriokAt Board inquired from the M.C.C. about its pros pects of recognition, and were told that they
would have to prove themselves in ability and ad ministration". It seems doubtful that the M.C.C# would have any powers, and this could be a misprint Non-White body decides to apply for membersiiii) of I.C.C.
In 1955* the Cricket Board of Control (the A« l ^ c * non-white body) decided to apply for admission to u lK* ,
Hon-White Matches against Kenya.
In J955> visas were granted to members of an Indian cricket team from Kenya who visited South Africa dn competed against Indian and Coloured teams.
In 195S a Won-White team from South Africa including Coloured, Malay, Indian and African i/ players toured Kenya.
Hon-White body decides to reconstitute on Hon- \ racial Basis.
In 1958 in Cape Town, a full council of the Cricket Board of Control (non—white) met and de
cided, as mentioned earlier, that existing racially-
based / 3 based national units fop African, Indian, Coloured and Malay players should be done away with a m replaced "by non-racial provincial bodies. 3To Non-Whites included in I960 South African t^a*-1. 3To Won-White players were considered for inclusion in the S.A. cricket team which toured England in I960. It was common talk that several Non-White cricketers, especially the Coloured player Hr. Basil D*03iviera, qualified for such consideration* Representations by S.A.S.A.
The South African Sports Association sent letters to all players in the trials held to seled the I960 cricket team to tour England, asking them to withdraw "because of the exclusion of Non- White cricketers*
It also cabled the Imperial Cricket Conference held Lords during July asking that consideration should be given to raioal discrimination in the national cricket body in South Africa. White cricket body in S.A. seeks Government clari fication.
In I960, and following representations made by S.A.S.A. to the Imperial Cricket Conference, the S.A. Cricket Association fcthe white body) wrote to the Minister of the Interior asking what the Government*s attitude was on various points. The Minister stated in a reply dated 16th June, I960 that*
”The Government does not favour inter-racial team competitions within the bonders of the Union and will discourage such competitions taking place as being contrary to the traditional policy of the Union - as accepted by all races in the Union. "The policy of separate development is in ac cordance with the traditional South African
custom th ;t Whites and Eonr-Whites should or
ganise their sporting* activities separately* The inclusion of different races in the same team wjuld therefore he contrary to established and aocepteu custom",
When the S.A. Cricket Association notified S.A.S.A. of the terms of the reply it had received, S.A.S.A. answered that the Minister of the In terior had not expressly directed the S.A. Cricket Assooiation to exclude Bfc&tr-Whites from membership — thus the decision to do so rested squarely with the Assooiation itself*
Inter-racial Benefit Match for Hoa-Whlte player who becomes professional in England.
during I960, Mr. Basil D*01iv&4ra acccpted an invitation to *}oin the British Middleton Club
in the Lancashire League as a professional* He captained a Son-White team in a benefit match against a White team held for hln before his de
parture, the members of the White team being, with one exception, the same as w^feh repre sented the Western Province in a Currie Cup match held shortly beforehand. This benefit match ended in a draw*
5*A?S.a . a^ajn makes yftgresentations to Imperial Jricket Conference.
S.A.S.A. wrote during February* 1961 to the Imperial Cricket Conference, asking it to consider requesting tl^JS.A. Cricket Association to admit all South Africans as equal members, and suggesting that if the latter body did not agree to do so, it should be deprived of its membership of the I.C.C* and matohes of "test" statue until such time
as South African teams were truly representative. Copies of the 14tter were sent to all member countries of the IX.C. S.A« Withdraws from ComKonv.-oalth* In March, 1961 at a Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference in London, Dr. Verwoerd withdrew South Africa's request for continued ©Baberskip of the Commonwealth once she became
a Hepublio on 31st May, 19&U Imperial Cricket Conference Defers Question i of South Africa.
When the Imperial Cricket Conference met in July, 1961, it decided to defer until the next meeting in 1962 the question of whether °outh Africa should retain its membership after having loft the Commonwealth. In the meantime, matches between South Africa and other member countries would rank $as "Unofficial" tests but could possibly become offical retrospectively. ^Ton-White re-groupinq Takes Place. Meanwhile (following the decision in 1958) the S.A. Cricket Board of Control had re-constfc- tuted itself on a non-racial basis in place of the previous African, Indian, Coloured and Malay associations. When a match was played between Eastern province and m u t e x a Province sides in February, 1961, for the first time each side consisted of members of various Bon-White groups.
Ifan-White cricketora do v»ell in matches against White teams. During this period, t: ere were two matches between White and Bon-vThite teams which strengthen* ed the claims of Hon-171 ite players for eonaidera— tion when South African teams were being selected-
In December / 6 .<>.. In December, I960, $h& S.A. tndian XI "beat a White team captained "by Peter Walker "by four
tickets. In April, 1961, John Taite led a White team
■;v;vv< ’shich included four Springboks and six Currie Gup payers against A.S. Haque's combined JTon—
White team. The latter mis not the strongest tK i | l k., | . l « i h i ^ r >v - Ujk ' h* *• Aa Kt*. K C C *> b;kj /*' ~ ^ • ** J '/ could have been selected as the outstanding Basil D*Oliviera did not play and another seven e of the "best Son-White cricketers were not availabl *■ k . M.' Mr. Hague’s team won hy 20 runs* 7h***- 3*^ it. Mi/i-i o-f- jn fairness to the White team, it should he si- > ^ n -- ,,,'eUi *Yt j*.** . ------— . c«'w-i *■«•*+ J ™ ^ ‘ said that they were accustomed to grass, hut on
A g fvA A 4-J* . 1 °^* this occasion were playing on one of the hest T • grounds available to Fon-Whitea (at Batalspruit ^ ( t * W - ^ vuufe»-i on the Band) which has a matting wicket and gravel - |_* { Vi l (t, 6 ^ ^ ‘ ^ outfields. c ^ V*~ The Indian community is said to have spent
nearly HI6,000 on improving this ground and providing a covered stand. At the time, it was pointed out that Non- Thite players had many disadvantages - scfeh as lack of coaching, the difficulty of practising during the week because of the long distances to their homes and the shortage of playing fields
which meant that teams had Id take turns to use available grounds. It was said that some ef the best players could get a game only once every
three week** <
Suggestion that Non-Whila cricketers affiliate to white body. In October, 1961, at a meeting of the Trans* vail Cricket Union ( a member of the white S.A.
Cricket Association), Hr. ? Horan, a prominent cricketer, raised the question of Son-White
affiliation. He is reported to have said "The war things Lire going, I think it is essential to affiliate Son—Whites to the Transvaal Cricket Union ..... If the world takes a stand against us, ■we'll lose the cards we hold now. I*m sure it wilj do quite a lot of good. They could run their own leagues under our jurisdic tion and when overseas teams visit this country, games might be arranged against them. The time h.;.s come to safeguard ourselves against the fuiuie". The meeting agreed to form a sub
committee to meet Non—White organizations*
While the president of the (non—white) Transvaal Cricket Federation was reported to
have welcomed the e g v g , the treasurer ox this body said in a letter that Non-White cricketers were not propared to accept subservient status. He added that the Non-White body must ask for
amalgamation or equal affiliation. (Did the sub-committee set up by the White body take the matter any further? Did the Non-White body take any formal decision on their attitude to affiliating on the lines suggested by Mr. & Rowan?)#
Representations by S.A.S.A. to White cricket body* ? '■; Later in October, 1961 the S.A. Sport Asso ciation sent a letter to the S.A. Cricket Asso ciation protesting at the policy of racial dis crimination” practised by the Association. The
letter said / 8 .... latter said that the Association "has never in dicated its desire to remove racialism to prac tice true sportsmanship# We invite you to do so now"* Representations h.v S»A«S»A« to Kerr Zealand cricket team* M About the same tine, in an open letter to the H e w Zealand cricket team, S.A.S.A. stated that the Hew Zealand team •was not welcome in South Afrioa “because it "would play only against Whites* The letter stated "The S.A. Sports Association would he happy to welcome you to our country if you came under different circumstances •••••
The S.A. Cricket Association whose quests you are confines its membership deliberately to White
South Africans"* Attendances at "Unofficial Toct" Cricket Drop.
A series of "unofficial tests" took place in South Afrioa against Hew Zealand in the first two months of 1962, Attendances and takings declined by comparison with previous tests. One sports commentator^^estimated that attendances were probably down by about 60,000 compared with the 165,000 who saw the Kiwis in the 1953/4 season. Ho attributed this to the fact that the matches WOre "unofficial tests" and "thousands stayed away because they felt they would not be seeing the real Australia Opposed to"Unofficial Tests". In February, 1962, it was announced that the
Australian Cricket Board of Control would not
regard / 9 •»•••••
(l) Paul Irwin writing in the Hand Daily Mail#
19th February, 1962* regard the forthcoming 1963/4 Springbok -tour as "unofficial" but would recognise the series as proper Test matches* They are said to have notified the I »C .C • accordingly* They are re— ported to have feared that if the games were billed as "unofficial", the tour might be a failure.
Statement of Government Policy,
At the end of March* 1962 the Sinister of the Interior made a statement on Government policy (detailed on page when he said that the ^overran ent co$ld not approve of teams from South Africa being composed of Whites and Non- Whites,
Observers pointed out that the statement Eight have important implications when the posi tion of South Africa was discussed later in the year at the Imperial Cricket Conference. South Africans in International Team do not nlav in India and Pakjgta&o
Three white South African cricketers (Roy Mclean, Kell Adcock, and Trevor Goddard) were
included in a multi-racial International team which toured the Par East during the first half of 1962, They were, however, excluded from the team for its Bombay visit for fsar of Indian public reaction, but the P kistani^iiuthorities haeLinsisted that the South Africans were welcomed in their country. In March, however, the Pakis^ tani Government directed that none of the white South Africans should play in the two matches to be held in Pakistan. Basil B’Oliviera, the S.A. Coloured cricketer was also a member of the inter national touring team.
Former / 10 «,,, 10
Forcer Springbok Criokot Captain Pr^es Inclusion of Non-Whites in Team,
In April, 1962 Mr, Clive van Ryneveld, former Springbok cricket captain, said that he hoped the South African selectors would consider including
Hon-Whites in the team to tour Australia in 1963, He believed that South Africa’s international stand ing would be greatly improved if it were known that Hon-Whites were not barred purely owing to their colour. If there were a worthy Son-White, he should be included in the team, even if the Government denied him a passport and so prevented him from
touring# The Government's present attempts to for bid multi-racial sport would almost certainly lead
to the isolation of Springbok teams, and he regarded it as quite wrong for the Government to try to con trol the w ay in which people spent their leisure time. He said that the whole question should be left to the various sports associations to work out for themselves* and if this were done, evolution
At the annual meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference in July, 1962, South Africa's position was again reviewed* To enable South Africa to be re-admitted to the Imperial Cricket Conference, it would have meant amending the latter1s constitution and name to enable non—Commonwealth countries to become membersc, So such proposal to this effect v?as mad»* The n$inesn correspondent, commenting on the position, stated "that no such proposal was likely to be made until there was a radical change in the
policies / 11 *•*, policies of the South African Government* He-
added "This is, to all intents and purposes, a
straight political issue between, on the one han£, England, Australia and Hew Zealand, and on the other, India, Pakistan and the West Indies. The president could in his discretion exercise a cast ing vote* However, the status quo± was retained with never a suggestion that the constitution of the conference might be altered to allow South African in"* Prior to the meeting, spokesmen for the
Pakistani Cricket Board of Control had stated that Pakistan would remain opposed to South Africa*t reasfcnission to offioial test cricket unless ihe undertook to play all members ©f the Conference*
The secretary of the Indian Cricket Board stated in a press interview that India "was not taking up any set position in advance and we inteni to preserve an open mind"o
There was reported to be a strong body of opinion in the West Indies opposed to South Africa’s readmission because of her policy of sport apart heid* Sdkatemont by official of S*A. Cricket Association* The president of the S*A* Cricket Association said that ^nhile it was to be regretted that S*A* oould not at present be readmitted to the I*C*C., he did not consider that this jould adversely affect cricket in South Africa, provided that overseas tons to and from South Africa oould be maintained, He felt that matches between countries were still in ternational, even if for record purposes they were called "unofficial tests", and he did not feel the difference in terminology would in any way lower the status of these games or detract from their importance* rorarflln,- Huffield Cricket
The Huffield Cricket Week took place in Cape To^m in January, 1963* Under this scheme which j yt>v«,v u, vza started in^scfcpel tsafis from different parts
& *+-4 " of South Africa take part in matches during the l\o P'**) . and a team from different parts of the country j c-t.rvtv. &v- t * tA ♦kt chosen to tour Britain* /■vOvtvU^ /\»in Shortly after the 1963 Buffield Cricket Week, u> A* ♦ , the S.A. Sports Association \7r 0te to the organisers of the Week asking whether any of their regulations > / t&- restricted the tournament to White South African o- T k w #l U k nw-i schoolboys only and whether Won-White school-hoys tkivt*. /\vvw ^ wt-* would "be considered for selection for the team wjvrv U i h U kI JtAthiTl u\ which was to tour Britain later in 1963# The pre /fi y n ►rvv^ sident of S.A.S.A* is reported to have said that it /S t j “if ^ 1 r f t £■» m. was most unlikely that when funds were voted to start the Fuffield Cricket Week, "it was intended t < that this project should he hased on raoial discri
mination"* A spokesman for the Huffield Cricket Week statec that the letter from S.A.S.A* had been forwarded to the S.A. Cricket Association, the trustees of ‘she Buffield Week, for their consideration. Suggested Inclusion of HonrWhite Cricketer:‘in 1963 Australian Team. At the time of writing (early in 1963) a number of letters have appeared in the press urging the selectors for the South African cricket team to tour Australia later in the year to include in the team
Basil B'Oliviera, the prominent Coloured orioketer. *g>outf) African Cable tennis: Poarb
Affiliated “In Good Standing” to the International Table Tennis Federation
P.O. Box 569, DURBAN,
- 8 0 C f ... Q.ct ob er ...... I9^ #
Miss Mary Draper, S.A. Institute of Race Relations, P . O . Box 97, JOHANNESBURG.
Dear Miss. Draper, I am most grateful to you for sending to me a copy of the publication ’’Sp o r t and Race in South Africa". I am glad that my notes on Table Tennis were of some use to you. I have not had a chance of reading the Booklet carefully, but it is obvious that you have made a very careful analysis of a most difficult subject. Please accept my congratulations.
Yours sincerely,
-p r e s i d e n t T O / B A . . Mrs. P. Roberta, South Afrioan Table Tennis Union, P.O. Box 2152, DLTHBAK.
Dear Lira. Roberts,
Many thanks for your letter of 4th October and for your kind comments on the booklet. A copy has been sent to Mr. Phitidis and another copy is enclosed, together with our receipt for HI.54. X am most interested in the latest developments which you outline in your letter and which sound very encouraging. All I can suggest that might be helpful is that your Union might think of getting your legal adviser to obtain Counsel's opinion which would, I think, confirm that it is perfectly legal to hold inter-racial matches or tournaments ?/ith non-segre- gated spectators. Your Associations could be sent copies of the opinion to reassure them on this point. It is possible that the Government may introduoe legislation which will alter the position, but they may hesitate to do this because of the implications for sport at international level. It will be very interesting to see the outcome of the present I.O.C. meetings.
Many thanks once again for all your help, and for continuing to keep me in touch with what is happening.
Kind regards, Tours sincerely,
Mary Draper (Miss), RESEARCH ASSISTANT.
Ehclst
Collection Number: AD1715
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS (SAIRR), 1892-1974
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