As the 49 Afrikaners departed for the US to join Donald Trump’s misguided and foolish refugee programme, it created a lot of anger. Lies were peddled to the dimwit American president that a bunch of racists, who just cannot live with black people, were facing a genocide.
This migration and refugee talk had been spoken about, and in my mind, it was just another talk-shop and a point-scoring exercise.
But the speed in which it happened was really staggering. You’d really think that after 30 years of democracy, people would be more discerning in their view of life, politics and current affairs.
It was a little disheartening, considering the dark history of this country.
But amidst all the madness, sports came through and soothed hearts, in a manner that Zambuk does to a zama zama’s chapped lips.
South African sports stars flew the country’s flag far and beyond and made us remember that when we are united, we can be a wonderful cluster of people, and a bunch of winners too.
As Nelson Mandela said at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can
create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”
Led by the veteran and quickest man in Africa Akani Simbine, the South African sprinters burnt the track at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.
The men’s 4x100m and 4x400m quartets took gold in both sprints and in the women’s bill, the fantastic foursome of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Charlene Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney van der Walt won a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay final.
Mind you, the team’s a potpourri of the Rainbow Nation and fully representative of the Mzansi demographics. It was so enchanting to watch.
In football, national teams have also done an amazing job that deserves a standing ovation. Amajita, the SA Under-20 men’s national team, this week qualified for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup. Recently, the SA Under-17, Amajimbos, recently qualified for the Fifa U17 World Cup to be held in Qatar.
Bafana Bafana have also qualified for the 2025 Afcon and the team is also top of the log in the qualifiers for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Banyana Banyana will set out to defend their African crown at the Women’s Afcon in July.
But alas, the national association, Safa, finds itself at the bottom of the rung, having to release press statements every week, defending its scandal-prone leadership from the media.
The bloated national executive committee (NEC) is always in a cat-and-mouse game; with high ranking officials appearing in courts, while the association is struggling financially and battling to pay salaries. Yet that has not stopped some members of the NEC from seeing a mashonisa in Safa, taking loans from the association.
Maybe some of the Safa executive members should have been the ones to pack their bags to go do some farming in America.
They have performed admirably in carrying the bag for the president of the football association Danny Jordaan in order to keep their seats in the committee.
Safa has the potential, it just needs a change in mindset.
Fighting for positions in the NEC is not the solution and will not shape the future for SA football.
They can achieve so much if they were honest with themselves that their hearts are in the right place.
