Bulana Thread

Afternoon guys,

The Bulana thread has been removed at the request of the Original author.


www.africanbettingclan.com

May we ask as to what the reasoning was behind him requesting the removal?

I am not for censorship, but, in the interests of avoiding where this thread is being lead to, private disclosures, threats and the potential of generating racial friction (as that's what I have been told by one of my colleagues who read it) I feel it should be removed in keeping with the spirit of the Clan.


Unfortunate!

Regards
Umlilo

It was getting quite heavy.

the thread was both interesting and heavy. I'm not a politically minded person as I like horses, not politics. Having said that I understand that sometimes these two spheres walk hand in hand.

It is also quite an eye opener that racial tension not only means black on white but black on brown on white on yellow........

I understand why the thread was closed but hope that the concerned parties don't degenerate into a no win situation and that the guys involved get where they are going!

Viva the horse!

I found the thread interesting also ...

Ma Granny used to say don`t air your dirty knickers in public

My Granny was deaf and Blind much like our Racing operator

That thread was far bigger than what it seemed. It echoed a South African story and it should have played out imo. I am not talking about the side show. I am talking the real issue. I respect whatever reasons were decided on to call for a pulling of the thread, however. Attacking each other should never be construed as meaningful debate.

Rob in his last post referred to "I find that it is often amongst the White liberals that the least understanding of the real values of blacks,exists". I certainly don't consider myself a "white liberal" in fact I am not sure what that means. What I do know is that there are apparently no more racists left in SA (White or black). We are simply "race conscious" or "race sensitive". When the standard becomes caring about the lives other human beings and the lives that they in most cases were unfortunately born into and not about race, we may find ourselves in a better place. I am sure your comment was a general one and not specifically aimed at me.

Rob I see you are from the area I now live in and would probably be familiar with Gamalakhe township. I have nothing to prove here or anywhere else but will clarify my perspective. The Saturday after I was living large at the July I went to a birthday party of one of my wife's staff members child in Gamalakhe with my wife and our child. We were treated like royalty. We even had our first taste of goat. (very much like lamb in case anyone is wondering, but is a battle to get down with the thought of goat in the brain). The point is I am not a bleeding heart liberal but a realist who has experienced first hand how the vast majority live. Our domestic worker lives in the same area and I have taken her home a few times when the taxi factions have been shooting each other. She lives in the notorious Tin Town area. She heard that we had gone to this party and advised that we were in one of the better areas known as "four rooms". Better area? The contrasts of the July and township life in fact the contrast of my own life and the lives of these people is shockingly real.

What does this have to do with racing? The original topic was a racing topic. Us whitey's are the first to come out with "Why does it always have to be about black and white?" Its almost becomes our defence mechanism to anything to do with race relation issues. It is and will always be a about black and white we live in a mixed race society and race features in every interaction of every day, whether it be racing or buying a newspaper, whatever.

To bring balance to the original debate and having had the opportunity to have re-read all of the meaningful posts, I have realised that there was one thing that I overlooked. The repeating problem of transformation is fast tracking or sprinters sent to a marathon event in the Olympics. The failure here, still has to rest on the shoulders of GC as they should have managed the process more effectively IMO. Perhaps they should not have missed an opportunity to pass the candidate through the system in a natural progression of Head of Groom School, assistant trainer, a few proper years under that trainer to fully fledged trainer.

I did note an interview not so long ago where an assistant trainer (black man) was interviewed. Cant remember who the boss was but can remember being surprised by who it was. Perhaps he will be the first who makes it in the training ranks.

We must learn to transcend fear. No one is shouting nationalise the owners bloodstock. They are shouting open up the industry to all, not just from a punting perspective or as Umlilo would put it for, "punting fodder" (gambling rands / income). I cannot see why anyone should object to this.

Al,that comment you highlight was general,as was my entire perspective.At no point did I oppose transformation but my assessment was that the investment in this individual, being well over a million,is perhaps done and maybe someone else,given the same opportunity,may use it better.
I am dissappointed that you felt the need to defend yourself as I did not mean to personalise my view at all.

100% Rob. I understand your view point and in case you missed it on the thread that was pulled, well done for having the courage to speak up and take up the debate. My comments are also general as far as transformation and fears thereof are concerned.

The beauty of a forum such as this is; although we are addressing eachother, we are in fact talking to many. Everything I write is with this in mind. White SA is stereo typing itself but not understanding the problems we face as a nation of people. The quick one liners are lazy responses, "defence mechanisms", which do not adress issues. Window dressed transformation, does nothing for anyone. Very few bother or refuse to look further than the obvious. Knee jerk transformation and one liners will hide it away for a while and when it fails, it's the candidates fault.

To take the debate further as for the million spent, what kind of a transformation program can we expect from an investment of 1 bar on one candidate. It was doomed from the start. As a comparitive example the industry that I am in is offering companies learnerships through the seta's to encourage growth of black entrants in the financial services sector. I am busy looking into detail of the process but it revolves around being paid to train and bring through black candidates with a view of them owning their own financial services company. The investment, not R1,000,000, without planning or proper thought. In my view Mr Bulana was setup to fail so that we can all say "I told you so!" We therefore cannot blame him.

I don't know that Mr Bulana was "setup to fail so that we can all say "I told you so!" " as you say, Al.

The practical racial position is that public trainers require horses to train and that the majority (by far) of owners of racehorses are white. It's a sport that takes a large investment compared to other sports and the ongoing expense of each horse is equivalent to sending a child to university.

A black person has to attract white owners if he (or she) wants to have any chance to become an independent player in the game as a professional racehorse trainer. While I understand that there are many rich black people in SA now, I can see why there would not be a spontaneous interest in racing horses as opposed to anything else.

Racing (as a community) needs to ask itself if it wants and/or needs black trainers in the industry. If it does, the support will need to come from the owners and the operators. Even if the operators make the way easier with subsidized rent and sponsorships and whathaveyou, if there is no support in terms of racing stock, no trainer will have a chance.

Giving opportunities to black jockeys was doable because the industry could just open the doors a little wider, but trainers will require individuals to commit. Either new individuals or existing. Many white trainers have started and stopped because on top of everything, you also need luck. Perhaps it's possible to identify aspiring trainers within the ranks of existing yards and give them opportunities within those yards, under the guidance of the existing trainers whereby they can train one or two horses themselves supported by willing owners. Maybe something could come of it, who knows.

Its all about transformation, why didn't gold circle or bulana get some rich black politician or business men to support there fellow black man and buy some horses and invest in the stable and the game? maybe they did but the politicians or business men were not interested in helping out a fellow black man. I don't see why the whole fault of this transformation problem must fall on gold circle. There have been alot of young white trainers that have gone out the game due to lack of support and cost of training, that would have loved gold circle to hold there hand and help out.

You can take a horse to the water but you cant make him drink !!!!

I agree with Jack Dash, the authority should have pushed for more young black assistant trainers 10 years ago, and by now we would at least have a couple of descent young black trainers.