Complaint lodged against Bafana Bafana Coach for alleged ‘racist and sexist’ remarks

The United Democratic Movement has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos.

This comes after he allegedly made “racist and sexist” remarks towards one of his players and their agent.

The remarks were made during a press conference on Wednesday when Broos expressed disappointment with defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s lack of a professional attitude after arriving late to training.

Broos pointed out that Mbokazi had missed a flight and was therefore late in arriving at the team’s training camp in Pretoria, where they are preparing for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

UDM took issue with Broos’s comments at a press conference where he said that “he is currently a Black guy, but he will come out of my office a white guy” after saying that he would “have a chat” with the player after training.

A report by Times Live stated that a source close to Broos noted that what the coach meant was that Mbokazi would be leaving the meeting “white”, as in pale, after their conversation.

Broos expressed frustration with the general lack of professionalism among South African players, as well as with Orlando Pirates, which he said had given Mbokazi time off.

“This is very bad. When you are a 19-year-old guy who receives a call-up to the national team to play AFCON and the World Cup next year, and the coach gives you a few days off?” Broos said.

“If you are someone with a good attitude, you don’t even want those days, and you are here on Monday with the other players. So I will have a chat with him after training.”

UDM also highlighted the coach’s reference to Mbokazi’s agent as “that little woman who is his agent who thinks she knows football, if she is just a little bit clever…”

“These remarks, if confirmed, constitute racially suggestive and sexist utterances that demean the dignity of the individuals concerned and undermine the constitutional values that govern all public institutions, including national sports structures,” the UDM said in a letter to the SAHRC.

UDM Member of Parliament Nqabayomzi Kwankwa confirmed that the SAHRC had received the complaint on Thursday in a Facebook post.

“We have lodged a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission against Coach Hugo Broos for his racist and sexist remarks directed at Mbokazi and his agent, Ms Basia Michaels,” he wrote.