Ziningi Shibambo a 30 year old professional black South African lady decided she would share in the joy of seeing her national rugby side the Springboks take on the visiting Australian team at the Coca-Cola Stadium Johannesburg. She was at home in South Africa, with clients from her company and amongst her fellow country men and women, what else could it be, other than a pleasant day out?

She was however to find out that while a lot may have changed there are some aspects of old South Africa that are fighting viciously to hold on to past evil and South African rugby is one of the places these reactionary forces have found a home.

At half time Shibambo had gone to the ladies toilet and was one her way back when she was confronted by three burly white men who proceeded to launch an unprovoked racial assault on her, railing at her one of the men called her a “bloody kaffir” shouting “What are you doing here ? Your people have taken over the country and now you want to take over the only white sport left',"

They then went on a rant on how in their opinion Mbeki had messed up the country before slamming Shibambo against the wall. The attack lasted over three minutes but in all the time none of the hundred of people that went past intervened.

The South African Rugby Union has condemned the matter and launched an investigation, the incident however serves to remind many in South Africa the degree to which some white South Africans have refused to accept change.