Thursday, October 4, 2007
at
10:44 AM
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“I am an African” Thabo Mbeki
I still remember the way the nation responded when we first heard this powerful poem. The consensus was clear, black is not what defined us as Africans. Wherever you descend from, Europe, Asia or other African countries. We are defined by our roots, our hearts and our souls' Africanism. This says to me that when someone recognises their Irish origin, doesn't make them non-African.
So, why am I pissed off after the Twenty20 India vs South Africa game? I'll tell you why. I can't understand how is it that any country can come to SA to play a game of any sport and get to feel like they are the home side. India enjoyed so much fucking support from Indians in Durban that they felt like they could be the home side. I remember the same shit when the English soccer team was here in SA a couple of years ago and there were so many white people at the stadium in Beckham gear supporting England over SA. It was disgusting. To be fair, it’s also the same shit when darkies support the West Indies over the Proteas when we play them in cricket. It’s just plain wrong. In 2007, it doesn’t get wronger than that.
People need to stop choosing to be South African when it suits them and then showing their true colours the rest of the time. People live in our country enjoying our resources, our land and all the splendour this country has to offer. Then you bloody better back us up any from of war when we put on the green and gold. I don’t care how wack Boys Boys are; you simply can’t be South African and support another team over them. Look, I’m all for appreciating overseas stuff, especially when it’s good quality stuff. I myself own a Liverpool FC jersey. But I know where I’m from and I also own to Amakhosi (Kaizer Chiefs for those that don’t know) jerseys. I love Gerrard and the boys but I simply can’t be going to a stadium and supporting Liverpool of Chiefs if they went head to head in a game or tournament.
I’m proposing that we actually get wild up about this. This should be passed as a law. You do this sort of thing, we should be able to prosecute you under the law for high treason to something like, maybe, 15 to 20 years in prison. Yeah, that sounds about right. My blood in green and gold. There’s no excuse for anything else. The fact that you may suspect that cricket or rugby is racist and don’t support transformation, is another issue. We must take this fight to the respective unions and government to sort that out. The solution is not, “I will therefore support India”. We have to fight what’s wrong in our country to uplift it to the levels and places that Mandela spoke of. It’s not enough to turn away and ditch your patriotism. We young people believe in so little these days. Let’s at least be patriotic. Let’s at lest make something of what other died for us to have. For people to be supporting openly and publicly other countries over South Africa, is just shameful and disrespectful to what we as a new South Africa stand for.
That behavior is not the Rainbow nation Nelson Mandela fought and was willing to die for.
I still remember the way the nation responded when we first heard this powerful poem. The consensus was clear, black is not what defined us as Africans. Wherever you descend from, Europe, Asia or other African countries. We are defined by our roots, our hearts and our souls' Africanism. This says to me that when someone recognises their Irish origin, doesn't make them non-African.
So, why am I pissed off after the Twenty20 India vs South Africa game? I'll tell you why. I can't understand how is it that any country can come to SA to play a game of any sport and get to feel like they are the home side. India enjoyed so much fucking support from Indians in Durban that they felt like they could be the home side. I remember the same shit when the English soccer team was here in SA a couple of years ago and there were so many white people at the stadium in Beckham gear supporting England over SA. It was disgusting. To be fair, it’s also the same shit when darkies support the West Indies over the Proteas when we play them in cricket. It’s just plain wrong. In 2007, it doesn’t get wronger than that.
People need to stop choosing to be South African when it suits them and then showing their true colours the rest of the time. People live in our country enjoying our resources, our land and all the splendour this country has to offer. Then you bloody better back us up any from of war when we put on the green and gold. I don’t care how wack Boys Boys are; you simply can’t be South African and support another team over them. Look, I’m all for appreciating overseas stuff, especially when it’s good quality stuff. I myself own a Liverpool FC jersey. But I know where I’m from and I also own to Amakhosi (Kaizer Chiefs for those that don’t know) jerseys. I love Gerrard and the boys but I simply can’t be going to a stadium and supporting Liverpool of Chiefs if they went head to head in a game or tournament.
I’m proposing that we actually get wild up about this. This should be passed as a law. You do this sort of thing, we should be able to prosecute you under the law for high treason to something like, maybe, 15 to 20 years in prison. Yeah, that sounds about right. My blood in green and gold. There’s no excuse for anything else. The fact that you may suspect that cricket or rugby is racist and don’t support transformation, is another issue. We must take this fight to the respective unions and government to sort that out. The solution is not, “I will therefore support India”. We have to fight what’s wrong in our country to uplift it to the levels and places that Mandela spoke of. It’s not enough to turn away and ditch your patriotism. We young people believe in so little these days. Let’s at least be patriotic. Let’s at lest make something of what other died for us to have. For people to be supporting openly and publicly other countries over South Africa, is just shameful and disrespectful to what we as a new South Africa stand for.
That behavior is not the Rainbow nation Nelson Mandela fought and was willing to die for.
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