I haven’t been getting too excited about government’s announcement last week that quotas are to be scrapped.

The pessimist in me says that Makhenkesi Stofile’s announcement was simply a way to make the sports portfolio committee look good. A good piece of well timed propoganda.

Quotas are only really a problem in rugby. The cricketers are far better behaved and went to the World Cup with the required number of coloured and black players. They seem to have no problem with Ashwell Prince putting their spectators to sleep and, predictably, came home without the World Cup.

The ‘Q’ word has always sugarcoated or whispered in hushed tones in rugby circles.

Trying to find out an official quota set for Super 14 teams has been impossible in recent times. ‘Targets’, ‘goals’ and other terms are bandied about to hide the truth. Quotas are a hot topic and making it a black and white (excuse the pun) law can only lead to trouble.

So when Makhenkesi Stofile and his sports portfolio committee cashed in on the warm and fuzzy sentiment created by the World Cup win to announce that quotas were out there were little alarm bells ringing in my head.

You see Mak’s brother Mike Stofile is leading a renegade movement in South African rugby circles. The deputy president of Saru is considering a take over movement to overthrow Oregan Hoskins and once in charge he will be able to do as he pleases with the president’s council behind him. Cheeky Watson’s elevation to the president’s council adds further weight to the notion of the “third force” within Saru.

When you consider that a major change is afoot for the way the national team is selected - no longer will the coach or selectors have the authority over selection, but rather the president’s council will have the final say - and you have enough smoke to have the prophets of doom predicting a major fire.

The big question remains as to whether quotas were scrapped as a failed experiment or whether they were simply deemed unnecessary by a force that knows that they will be able to do what and how they please in the near future.

I hope the pessimist in me is wrong and that goverment and the president’s council are going to concentrate their efforts on development rather than window dressing the Springbok team with the likes of Luke Watson.