MyPE

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Is SAnews.gov.za playing the game?

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The official news agency for the South African government, SAnews.gov.za (used to be known as BuaNews) sends out daily press releases. A few of them have bearing on Port Elizabeth and I use them to keep locals informed.

Most of the releases are of relevance to areas north and west of us though.

The only time that Port Elizabeth is mentioned is as part of a wider release – e.g. the Afcon Cup.

One of today’s releases had two football items in – one to do with Gordon Inglesund wanting the early release of overseas Bafana Afcon players and the other about Banyana reaching the semi-final of the CAF African Women’s Championship after outplaying the Democratic Republic of Congo 4-1 in their final Group A fixture in Bata, Equatorial Guinea on Saturday.

This got me thinking that I often see football focused press releases from our official SA Government News agency but cannot recall seeing regular press releases for other sports like ROWING for instance.

Who can forget the South Africa, Lightweight Men’s Four who, as the first African rowing team to win Olympic gold in rowing, Matthew Brittain, John Smith, Sizwe Lawrence Ndlovu and James Thompson brought rowing into South Africa’s public consciousness. The lightweight men’s four had an outstanding Olympic final, taking on the mighty Danish crew as well as the Australian World Champion crew and the highly regarded British.

In the closely fought final, South Africa won at the line by out-sprinting their competition. All members of the crew were first-time Olympians but, with the help of their coach Paul Jackson, they managed to hold their perspective and keep cool heads in front of 25,000 screaming spectators at the beautiful Eton Dorney Olympic rowing course.

AND, Matthew Brittain, John Smith, Sizwe Lawrence Ndlovu and James Thompson were recently designated as 2012 World Rowing Male Crew of the Year.

Spectacular play by our cricketers goes unnoticed by SAnews.gov.za. Rugby gets scarcely a mention. Swimming may as well happen on another planet. And so the list goes on for sports that produce World Champions with scarcely a mention.

Now I know that his may be as a result of the administrators of the sport failing to bring their achievements to the notice of the journalists at SA news.gov.za and if this is how it works then my apologies to SAnews.gov.za. But, surely the journalists at SAnews.gov.za are not hiding under a rock? Surely they, as purveyors of the SA GOOD NEWS, are tuned in and looking for stories of success by South Africans?

OR do they only peddle stories that show their masters and their masters interests in a good light, eschewing anything that could be seen as favouring the ‘other side’? Do I sense a bit of a laager mentality here?

I still get goosebumps and anxious that they won’t win each time I watch this video:

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.