Former South Africa team manager urges the Proteas to adopt ‘a unified approach’ on the Black Lives Matter movement

Dr. Mohammed Moosajee, the former team manager of South Africa cricket, has expressed his anguish regarding the divided stance of the Proteas on the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. The men’s national team already has the option of raising a fist, taking a knee or standing to attention before games. While some players take a knee, others go for alternative options.

Moosajee urged the Proteas to stay united in their fight against racism and discrimination on the basis of colour. He sounded disappointed for the reason that the situation surrounding racism hasn’t changed despite a number of cultural camps held for over a decade. Moosajee put forth his opinions while speaking at the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings.

We still have some way to go, says former South Africa manager

“Unfortunately, some current players appear to be misinformed and believe taking the knee is supporting the notion that black lives matter more. They need to be educated so that they appreciate that taking the knee is all about a stand against racism and discrimination and supporting the notion that Black lives matter as much,” Moosajee was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

“It is a pity that the Proteas Team have not adopted a unified approach to the issue and highlights that even though we have been having discussions for a number of years already, these discussions need to continue, because we still have some way to go to get all our people to fully appreciate the injustices of the past.

“I would like to see a recommendation from the Ombudsman [Dumisa Ntsebeza] urging the Proteas to adopt a unified approach,” he added.

Moosajee was at the forefront of various roles in South Africa cricket for as long as 16 years until 2019. Apart from being a manager, he also served as the team doctor. He said that he along with former skipper Graeme Smith tried to figure out ways to curb the incidents of racism.

As far as the BLM movement is concerned, England and West Indies cricketers will take a knee prior to their Super 12 match in the T20 World Cup on Saturday, October 23 in Dubai.