This Day in History: January 19, 1990
Additional Date: January 19, 1990
Police in Johannesburg used force to break up demonstrations against a "rebel tour" of South Africa by the English Cricket team. Angry anti apartheid demonstrators including the African National Congress (ANC) and the mainly black National Sports Congress demonstrated against a visit to South Africa by the British cricketers. The tour of South Africa which earned the cricketers the nickname 'Rebel cricket tour' under the captaincy of Mike Gatting, included other British team members such as David Graveney and John Emburey.
The tour was organised by the Managing Director of the South African Cricket Union Dr Ali Bacher but was opposed by the the ANC and the National Sports Congress. Furthermore, the tour took place at a time when South Africa was going through a period of political upheaval and change. What further inflamed the acrimony aganist the tour was that the 16 England players who went on the tour received financial support from the apartheid governmen and not corporate sponsors as was usually the case.