South Africa, New Zealand in apartheid apology

New Zealand and South Africa's rugby unions made landmark apologies Friday for excluding Maori and Black players from their teams during the apartheid era. New Zealand rugby authorities left indigenous Maori players out of three tours to South Africa, while South Africa's white regime did not pick Black players for the Springboks as part of its separatist policies.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jW2Da_X6KrgEsucvpglnQZyryVNg

 

What took them so long?

 

The usual fucked-up attitudes that make an otherwisse decent person a fuckin' insufferable aggravatin' asshole.



















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New Zealand is a self-governing dominion of the British Crown.

South Africa was a British dominion and now a Republic.

South Africa was re-admitted to the British Commonwealth in 1994.


Racial Segregation in South Africa began in Colonial Times

The British colonial rulers introduced a system of Pass Laws in the Cape Colony and Colony of Natal during the 19th century. This stemmed from the regulation of Blacks' movement from the tribal regions to those occupied by whites and coloureds, ruled by the British. Laws were passed not only to restrict the movement of Blacks into these areas, but also to prohibit their movement from one district to another without a signed pass. Blacks were not allowed onto the streets of towns in the Cape Colony and Natal after dark and had to carry their passes at all times. The Franchise and Ballot Act of 1892 instituted limits based on financial means and education to the Black franchise. In 1905 the General Pass Regulations Bill denied Blacks the vote altogether, limited them to fixed areas and inaugurated the infamous Pass System.

The South Africa Act of 1910 enfranchised whites, giving them complete political control over all other race groups and removing the right of Blacks to sit in parliament, the Native Land Act of 1913 prevented all Blacks, except those in the Cape, from buying land outside "reserves", the Natives in Urban Areas Bill of 1918 designed to force Blacks into "locations", the Urban Areas Act of 1923 introduced residential segregation and provided cheap labour for white industry, the Colour Bar Act of 1926, prevented Blacks from practicing skilled trades, the Native Administration Act of 1927 made the British Crown, rather than paramount chiefs, the supreme head over all African affairs, the Native Land and Trust Act of 1936 complemented the Native Land Act of 1913 and, in the same year, the Representation of Natives Act, which removed Blacks from the Cape voters' roll.

 

This I did not know...

Canadian Prime Minister John Deifenbaker was the one who strongly advised that South Africa cede from the Crown back in the '60's, which they did.


Wonder what steps they had to take/criteria suiting the Commonwealth's judgement to be readmitted?
















OpinionsCartoonStudios@Yahoo.Co.UK

 

New Zealand Rugby Union actually refused to apologize before because they probably shared the same arrogance and racist ideologies as aparthied South Africa.

"The author of a new book, Beneath the Maori Moon, on the history of Maori rugby, Malcolm Mulholland, wrote to the New Zealand Rugby Union last year inviting it to apologize, but rugby's governing body has refused." (Source: stuff.co.nz).

Only due to public pressure did the New Zealand Rugby Union apologize.

Note that "The South African government routinely pursued racist policies before the apartheid regime of segregation that was in force from 1948 to 1994. A legendary Maori All Black player George Nepia was omitted from the 1928 tour after the South African prime minister advised New Zealand government officials that it would be 'embarrassing' for his white-rule regime if Maori played." (Source: stuff.co.nz).

 

The Republic of South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961 months after Harald Macmillan gave the "Winds of Change" speech. It used to be called the Union of South Africa.

 

The Republic of South Africa was officially re-admitted to the British Commonwealth on June 1, 1994.

 

I have no idea.

South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum, gold and chromium.

The British Commonwealth is the successor of the British Empire.

Can you say re-colonization, exploitation of natural resources and minerals?