BRUCE FORDYCE SASPU NATIONAL 20 Marathon man Bruce explains THAT black armband

BRUCE FORDYCE — winner of the 1961 Comrade* Mara­ thon — doesn't only wtn athletics meetings. Ho has run tor me Wits SRC and has been elected. He has also run against white opinion and has come through with flying colours. Before setting out to challenge the country's best In the premier race of the year Bruce donned a black armband to protest against the celebration of twenty years of the Apartheid Republic. Despite having abuse and tomatoes thrown at him dur­ ing the race Bruce took the trophy.

tth) did sou wears* arm- Bruce Q • hand "him sou ran the Comrades? Fordyce I saw it Republic Day Festivities, the Com­ rades forced everyone who ran it to make a choice. Hie average busi­ nessmen, lawyer or executive will just take part unthinkingly. For people like me they were forcing a withdrawal. But I had been training for the race for ages, so I refused to do that, I was going to make a state* men! to the press but then the arm­ band idea came up, so that's why I wore it. The statement was there throughout the race, not just for a moment as would have happened with a press statement. It also be­ came a group protest. MM an indi­ vidual stand.

The comments I made indicated

thai people didn't know what the You have to make choices every 9 To have non-racial sport in The first time I heard about plained the stand wc took but they armband meant. People would clap minute in South Africa, but at some A • South Africa is impossible be­ A • the Comrades Marathon was are controlled. They were also short as my armband w;is shielded, then stage you have to turn inwards as cause people come Irom different at school At school I wasn't pushed on coverage of Danny Biggs who they'd sec it and sa\ "Whafs that well That is what I did - I refused backgrounds with different law> so I was really enjoying running and wore an armband and all others for?" The> thought it was black to pull out, but at Ihe same time I go\erning them. South Africa is learnt how to enjoy it. But then I wearing armbands were cut out. The power or something. To others it made a statement. There is no alter­ proud of its multiracial sport hut came to varsity and lost interest un­ liberal press didn't cover it well was antt the * "omrades being linked native body that is goml enough so I they're making people compete on til 1976. I played a rugby game and either. Thcv didn't try to explain the to Republic Da) insofar as the race made the statement an individual ihe basis of colour — "mixed teams' fell exhausted. Just after that I saw issue but rather went for the sensa­ went. Tome ii wastthviously more. one. I don't know enough about are based on colour. For example the Comrades on TV, I thought tional aspect. SABC asked me It was forced on me. The Comrades Sacos toeomment tin them Errol Tobias should be chosen on about running it then but I never about it but it hasn't been on the air, has never before been ruled over or merit not because of his colour. dreamt of winning. In *77 I ran my -^ How do yon feel about the dictated to. Not that it's had such a Whichever way you look at it Every lime someone is chosen who first Comrades and came 43rd, in \Jt I futare of sport in South Afri­ great past either. I"hc IM75 Com­ sport is competitive. People chal­ isn't white, the press goes bescrk. In '78 I came 14th. In '7** I got serious ca? rades was i!.. first which allowed lenge one another in sport and one this country at present there are and came third, in '80 second and South African sport is good, blacks to run — a great break­ has excellence — which is not a bad 9 laws which exist which entrench in* '81 first. My times improved every • incredible if one looks at their through4. Then some official said thing. lt\forthc good of the sport. I A equality. And since sport is part of year as well. I'll go again because performance without international that they must wear ethnic tags, haven't discarded Sacos. One thing society you can't have equal sport I'm getting better. Danny Biggs competition. Football is ihe sport in Vincent Rakabcle had to wear 'So* I can say — they need the Jomo So* within an unequal society. (who was also wearing an armband) no's of the world. It would boost South Africa — the mass sport is not tho' on his chest or something. The came fifth and was the first novice rugby. officials also made too many 'Zulu* them. -. What do y o m I bin k of the home. tags and not enough 'Sotho' so UI international boycott against Apartheid will be dropped in Do yo* support Sacos* pol- when they ran out of one they just m South Africa? sport but the societal background Q • ries with regard to sport? B What do >ou think of thr press will not be improved. And. as we all used the other. It was a total farce* I think it is a tragedy for the B Q • cut crage of the Marathon? know, the background conditions m They say you can use educatio- • individual sportspcrson but it A are most important in the striving The same happened with women • nal facilities but not sporting has been instrumental in getting The press and PFP supported A # for non-racial sport in a racial (when they also first ran in 1975) — facilities* But sport is education of changes made in South Africa- • the Republic Day Festivities in A society. Isavel Rosch Kelly finished 75th this the body. If a person goes to univer­ Sports people then leave South the last instance, so I'm not sur­ year and the Comrades is thought to sity to further his or her education Africa and people begin to feel the prised about their coverage. The Athletics appears to be 'multi-ra­ be too tough for women. then playing sport is an important pressure. Because of this officials SABC TV were perplexed about cial* but when we (Wits) went down aspect to that — even just a social to Durban, the first time we woke Do you think sport and poli- are being forced to make changes. what to do about the armband. I felt game of squash. I can't see the use up to the fact that we had a black in I tks 'should be atperatcd? We tend to forget our history — in it during the race when they were Q of sporu facilities on campus as the team was when we went to the A You can't divorce the two. the late *60*s they wouldn't allow a filming and commentating. The m propping up the system any more beach. Things on the 'periphery' of • Everyone approves of the fact New Zealand team with Maori's in Comrades was shown at 6.00 pm than just using educational facili­ the sporting world make you more that Comrades is a 'multi-racial it to come over. Now a Maori comes and not again I am told. From a ties. aware of the racial society in which event*. But that is not the same as to South Africa and they herald the sporting angle they gave it fair cov­ non-racialism. But you try to ex­ WfcatdtyottMcatbefaftfcc fact. erage but they dropped the issue of we live. How dM yoar interest ia the armband. If they were an inde­ *M*»dtTSAjru, plain the difference to people on the - dittiKtloa between r%9 Q pendent service they would have ex­ side of the road. radal**rta»d pflMj*r*sassszi