Matthews Batswadi

Maths Batswadi (born 1949), a South African athlete, was the first black athlete to be awarded Springbok Colours, the name then given to South African national sporting colours, after the implementation of the policy of apartheid by the National Party in 1948.

Batswadi received Springbok Colours in 1977 after the national athletics federation, the South African Amateur Athletics Association, deracialised its constitution to allow blacks and whites to compete against each other.

After many years in seclusion in Dithakong, Batswadi was located there in good health by another South African athletics great, also bearing the Christian name, Matthews, Matthews Temane in December 2009.