Nathi Mthethwa calls for cricket's social justice inquiry in other sports federations

Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has called for other sports federations to follow Cricket South Africa's (CSA's) lead and institute Social Justice and Nation-building (SJN) inquiries of their own.

Mthethwa called the much-debated SJN project an initiative that helped "heal past divisions".

"The Social Justice inquiry is Cricket South Africa's initiative, [but] we have encouraged other federations to do the same," Mthethwa told parliament's sports portfolio committee on Tuesday.

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"What we've witnessed is that it's an important exercise. In terms of how to intervene, the minister is guided by the [Sports and Recreation] Act.

"At this point, I do call upon all other sporting codes to follow this important process.

"I also want to thank Cricket South Africa for being bold. This process helps to heal the divisions of the past; it's the correct path.

"The issues of racism in other sporting codes … the EPG (Eminent Persons Group) process is important [in that regard] so that the other federations are able to come here and explain what they are doing."

Federations such as the South African Rugby Union and Netball South Africa were caught in the cross-hairs of the race debate when the Black Lives Matter movement swept through South African sport in 2020.

That year, 49 rugby coaches, former players and administrators – including former Springboks Ashwin Willemse, Kaya Malotana, Hilton Lobberts, Norman Jordaan, Thando Manana and Adrian Jacobs –joined cricket in support of Lungi Ngidi and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Some tried to organise and lobby SA Rugby for a seat at rugby's top table or to have a transformation oversight body sitting on its board, which the rugby