We have to come together if we are to have any hopes of tackling the challenges facing this country
Rugby World Cup fever has hit the country and South Africans love their national rugby team. Many point to Nelson Mandela wearing Francois Pienaar’s rugby jersey at the 1995 World Cup final as the central reason for the Springboks being so loved, but it is deeper than that.
Mandela introduced us to the concept of reconciliation. The English word does his understanding an injustice, because it suggests a balancing of the books as in accounting, where you cannot really see the effect of profit on the one side and losses on the other. The Afrikaans equivalent of the word reconciliation isor coming nearer to each other. It provides a different imagery, one of people walking towards each other as opposed to waiting to see what the other will do.
Hence, even in areas where black people predominantly live, rugby is followed and played. It’s similar to the Afrikaans language. Yes, it may be the medium of instruction in expensive schools and universities in the country, but it is the lingua franca in the poorest so-calledBut rugby has more to offer South Africa than just sporting excellence. It offers South Africa an opportunity to glimpse what the country could actually be like.
He gets black players to elaborate on where they come from — like Makazole Mapimpi, who was raised by his grandmother in a single-roomed hut in the former Transkei area of the Eastern Cape. The white players, who may not have endured the financial and economic hardships of their black counterparts, also sacrificed. Their parents worked two or three jobs, so they could go to certain schools.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Africa’s Rugby World Cup messA restrictive Rugby World Cup sub-licensing deal between the SABC and MultiChoice has caused major technical headaches for South Africa’s public broadcaster.
Read more »
South Africa can be like its rugby teamWe have to come together if we are to have any hopes of tackling the challenges facing this country
Read more »
| Why South Africa hasn't been able to achieve economic liberation for the majorityBOOK: Rich State, Poor State by Greg Mills (Penguin).
Read more »