"I acknowledge that South Africa is still hugely divided by racism and it is my personal responsibility to do my best to emphasize, hear the stories, learn and then be part of the solution with my thoughts, words and actions"
Friday 17 July 2020 14:21, UK
Faf du Plessis says he "got it wrong before" in his understanding of race-related issues.
The 36-year-old, who stood down as South Africa's Test and T20 captain in February, accepts the country remains "hugely divided by racism" and has vowed to educate himself about the situation in his homeland.
Last week, 30 former Proteas players and five senior coaches gave their support to Lungi Ngidi and the global Black Lives Matter campaign.
Ngidi had talked about "talking a lead" in terms of the South Africa team giving a visible show of support to the movement in a forthcoming match.
Posting on Instagram, du Plessis wrote: "In the last couple of months I have realised that we must choose our battles. We are surrounded by many injustices in our country that require urgent attention and action to fix them. If we wait only for the ones that attack us personally, we will always live for "my way vs your way" and that way leads us nowhere.
"So I've remained silent, with the intent to listen, but not respond. Slowing down my point of view, but quicker to hear the pain of someone else. I knew that words would be lacking and that my understanding is not close to where it needs to be.
"I surrender my opinions and take the knee as an intercessor. I acknowledge that South Africa is still hugely divided by racism and it is my personal responsibility to do my best to emphasise, hear the stories, learn and then be part of the solution with my thoughts, words and actions.
"I have gotten it wrong before. Good intentions were failed by a lack of perspective when I said on a platform that I don't see colour. In my ignorance I silenced the struggles of others by placing my own view on it.
"A race problem is a human race problem, if one part of the body hurts ,we all stop, we empathise, we get perspective, we learn and then we tend to the hurting part of the body.
"So I am saying that all lives don't matter UNTIL black lives matter. I'm speaking up now, because if I wait to be perfect, I never will. I want to leave a legacy of empathy. The work needs to continue for the change to come and whether we agree or disagree, conversation is the vehicle for change."
