President pays tribute to the late non-racial sports administrator Mr Frank van der Horst

President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the family of anti-apartheid activist and former President of the South African Council on Sport (SACOS), Mr Frank van der Horst, who has passed away at the age of 86.

The President extends his condolences to the friends and associates nationally and globally of Mr Van der Horst as well as the generation of athletes who practised their sport while Mr Van der Horst led the non-racial sports movement.

Established in 1973, SACOS fought against racial segregation in South African sport and campaigned for equal access to facilities under the slogan “No normal sport in an abnormal society”.

SACOS worked closely with civic organisations, youth movements, trade unions and underground liberation structures on numerous campaigns and protests.

SACOS resisted South Africa’s participation in international sport with only white athletes.

Through its recognition by the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, the United Nations Committee Against Apartheid Sport and the global anti-apartheid movement, SACOS exercised sport as a platform through which to highlight the impact of apartheid on all areas of the lives of oppressed communities.

President Ramaphosa said: “The passing of Frank van der Horst makes us recall an era of grassroots, non-racial and inter-sectoral resistance to apartheid, and international support for our struggle.

“As part of the generational leadership of Norman Naidoo, Hassan Howa, Morgan Naidoo and Joe Ebrahim, Frank van der Horst made a crucial contribution as SACOS President to the sustained political pressure faced by the apartheid system in its closing decade.

“Today, South African sport continues to benefit from Frank van der Horst’s and SACOS’s legacy in the form of administrators who played their sport under the SACOS banner and now lead sports development in our country as well as federations and teams who are welcome throughout the world.

“As a nation, we are grateful for a struggle Frank waged with courage, principle and clarity. His values and the example he set will sustain us while he rests in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria