The passing away of Clive Barker marks one of the darkest moments in the short life of our democratic dispensation.
Two years after our democratic breakthrough in 1994, President Nelson Mandela stood next to Neil Tovey, captain of Bafana Bafana, to celebrate Bafana’s victory over Congo in the AFCON final at Soccer City in Johannesburg. South Africa had just become African football champions.
The man who had plotted the demise of Congo and ensured that Bafana Bafana were African champions was Clive Barker, South Africa’s national coach at the time. This achievement, coming a year after the Springboks had claimed the rugby world cup, placed the new democratic state on a new footing internationally after many years of isolation as a result of apartheid.
By leading Bafana Bafana to that momentous victory, Barker claimed his place in the annals of history in South Africa. Very few South Africans can claim that place in our country. It is for this reason that ActionSA believes for his achievements and the glory of the national team, Barker must be honoured with a state funeral.
We must also state as ActionSA that in the past three decades we have observed a pattern in this country whereby only leaders of the ruling party are given the honour of a state funeral, even those with a dodgy past and unclear achievements.
It is time that state funerals should go to great and outstanding South Africans deserving of such honour. The tendency to only honour politicians must be reviewed.
Henceforth, ActionSA will be vigilantly monitoring the conferring of state funerals in our country to ensure only the really deserving are honoured. We will not keep quiet when this honour continues to be abused by the ruling party by only honouring its cadres.
Clive Barker Deserves a State Funeral
The passing away of Clive Barker marks one of the darkest moments in the short life of our democratic dispensation.
Two years after our democratic breakthrough in 1994, President Nelson Mandela stood next to Neil Tovey, captain of Bafana Bafana, to celebrate Bafana’s victory over Congo in the AFCON final at Soccer City in Johannesburg. South Africa had just become African football champions.
The man who had plotted the demise of Congo and ensured that Bafana Bafana were African champions was Clive Barker, South Africa’s national coach at the time. This achievement, coming a year after the Springboks had claimed the rugby world cup, placed the new democratic state on a new footing internationally after many years of isolation as a result of apartheid.
By leading Bafana Bafana to that momentous victory, Barker claimed his place in the annals of history in South Africa. Very few South Africans can claim that place in our country. It is for this reason that ActionSA believes for his achievements and the glory of the national team, Barker must be honoured with a state funeral.
We must also state as ActionSA that in the past three decades we have observed a pattern in this country whereby only leaders of the ruling party are given the honour of a state funeral, even those with a dodgy past and unclear achievements.
It is time that state funerals should go to great and outstanding South Africans deserving of such honour. The tendency to only honour politicians must be reviewed.
Henceforth, ActionSA will be vigilantly monitoring the conferring of state funerals in our country to ensure only the really deserving are honoured. We will not keep quiet when this honour continues to be abused by the ruling party by only honouring its cadres.
Etlela hi ku rhula Tatana Clive Barker!