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GETTY IMAGES GETTY Football for Liberation and Peace in Africa: South Africa, Algeria and Ivory Coast 7256(//675g0 6(1,25$'9,62572$&&25' Introduction independent Africa, were either prominent fueled Africa’s broader quest for political The history of sports - in particular football players themselves or promoted liberation”.2 football1 - in Africa is intimately linked to the game in their quest for national unity Although not an active athlete, the struggles for racial justice, national and freedom. Largely overlooked by Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, liberation and peace. Several of the historians, “[f]ootball constructed a fragile identified football as an efficient vehicle leaders of the anti-colonial campaigns, sense of nationhood in political entities for unity in the former British colony as well as many founding fathers of arbitrarily created by colonial powers and and took a close personal interest in 6 | Playing for Peace the national team, the ‘Black Stars’.3 In Whites, Indians and Africans. In the or other services. Against this background, neighboring Nigeria, Benjamin Nnamdi beginning, football mainly took hold in and and recognising the mobilising force of Azikiwe, the father of modern nationalism around the port city of Durban, but soon the sport, it is not surprising that football and chief architect of the country’s spread to Cape Town, Johannesburg and drew the attention of the first generation independence, was an accomplished across the country. As with all other social of South Africa’s resistance and liberation football player and sportsman.4 Popularly activities, it was strictly segregated and leaders. known as ‘Zik’, during the independence organised along racial lines. John Langalilabele Dube, who in 1900 struggle he founded Zic’s Athletic Club The first formal soccer organisation, had founded the Ohlange Institute, in (ZAC), which not only became a hub of the all-White Pietermaritzburg County 1903 launched Ilanga Lase Natal - the first sporting and social activity, but also an Football Club, was set up in 1879. newspaper in isiZulu - and in 1912 became important anti-colonial platform.5 And Seven years later, there were four the founding President of the then South in Algeria, the leading liberation fighter, Indian soccer clubs in Durban, and in African Native National Congress, later founder of the National Liberation Front 1903 a South African Indian Football re-named the African National Congress (Front de Libération National - FLN) and Association was founded. As the African (ANC). Dube played an important role in future President, Ahmed Ben Bella, had workforce expanded, so also did football the early history of football in Natal and in in 1939–40 been a mid-field player for in the African locations, as well as among South Africa at large. Ohlange Wild Zebras the French professional football club Africans at their leading (mostly mission) FC was formed in 1901, and from its first Olympique de Marseille.6 As will be schools. Among the first African clubs year of publication Ilanga regularly covered seen in this magazine, the tradition of were Wild Zebras at the Ohlange Institute, the local African soccer competitions. combining football with politics is today Shooting Stars at Adams College and Less known, but of considerable historical continued by contemporary African Natal Cannons at the Inanda seminary. By significance, is that Dube’s neighbor at leaders such as Presidents Paul Kagame 1910, there were at least seven African the Phoenix settlement outside Durban, of Rwanda and Pierre Nkurunziza of soccer clubs in and around Durban. In Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi, similarly Burundi.7 1916, they formed the Durban and District promoted football in his non-violent Most African nations are as Native Football Association (DDNFA), the campaign against racial discrimination. independent entities only 50 years old, first major African football organisation in Gandhi came to South Africa in 1893, or younger.8 After a long and hard-fought the country.9 setting up the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) struggle, South Africa achieved democracy Not only was football racially the following year. While in South Africa, only 16 years ago. With six African nations segregated, but the conditions under he developed his guiding philosophy of among the 32 participating in the 2010 which the game developed were satyagraha. A firm believer in non-violent FIFA World Cup - the first ever on African fundamentally unequal, unjust and resistance against racial injustice, he was soil - this article looks at how historically discriminatory. All over the country, white- actively involved in local Indian affairs. the game of football in Africa has been ruled town councils refused to provide Little known is the fact that this included a powerful force for social and political recreational facilities for non-whites, football. In or around 1913 - not long mobilisation against injustice, racism and with the result that African, Indian and before his return to India - he organised foreign domination, a dimension which is Coloured clubs had to play their matches three football teams in Natal. To the very much alive in the psyche of the young in open, unattended fields, without stands author’s knowledge, Gandhi himself did nations. Examples will be taken from the history of the host nation, South Africa, as well as from Algeria, two countries that are competing in the World Cup. A note on the role for peace played by the Ivory Coast’s ‘Elephants’ with regard to the civil war in that country will conclude the text. Captained by Didier Drogba, African Footballer of the Year in 2009, Ivory Coast is also a participant in the World Cup. South Africa: From Gandhi via Robben Island to Bafana Bafana Introduced to South Africa by working- class British soldiers sent to fight in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War, not only did football become a popular military pastime, but The Passive Resisters: Mahatma Gandhi set up football teams as part of the struggle soon also an organised activity among against racial discrimination in South Africa (circa 1913). Playing for Peace | 7 LUTHULI FAMILY COLLECTION, LUTHULI MUSEUM LUTHULI COLLECTION, FAMILY LUTHULI Chief Albert Luthuli with the ‘Shooting from 1952 until his death in 1967. Luthuli Vice-President of the Durban and District Stars’ of Adams College in Durban, South was closely involved with the sport. As Native Football Association, which - as Africa, 1929. a national political leader, administrator mentioned - was the first of its kind in and organiser, he was in particular drawn South Africa. Describing himself as a to football as it brought African mission- “compulsive football fan”13, three years not produce anything in writing about educated elite together with African later he was instrumental in uniting the these teams, nor about the game of migrant and non-migrant workers. In his Natal and Transvaal associations under the soccer. For posterity, however, he had a autobiography Let My People Go - first South Africa African Football Association photo taken of him and other NIC leaders published in 1962 - he noted that “what (SAAFA), of which he also became Vice- with two of the Indian teams, appropriately has attracted me as much as the game President. And in 1952, when the ANC dubbed the ‘Passive Resisters’.10 [itself] has been the opportunity to meet launched the Defiance Campaign against From the beginning, football in South all sorts of people, from the loftiest to the the apartheid state and Luthuli was Africa became an integral part of the quest most disreputable”. Strongly opposed to elected President-General of the liberation for racial justice and equality, playing an Pretoria’s segregation policies, he added movement, he combined political work increasingly important role on the political that “I confess that when I watch matches with that of President of the Natal Inter- agenda. In the 1920s, for example, under between White South Africans and visiting Race Soccer Board, set up to oversee and its President, Clements Kadalie, the teams, I invariably want the foreigners to bridge the racial division between African, Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union win. So do other Africans”.11 Indian and Coloured soccer associations. (ICU) recognised soccer’s contribution to In addition to his involvement in At a historic conference in Durban the formation of a politically conscious national politics, as well as in traditional in 1951, the South African Soccer popular culture. Together with boxing, the governance, missionary affairs and Federation (SASF) had in the meantime ICU actively promoted football among its agriculture at Groutville north of Durban, been launched. Barring nobody from followers. Luthuli was a prominent football membership on the grounds of race, More important in the longer-term administrator.12 After serving for many colour or creed, it brought together more perspective was the role of Chief Albert years as Secretary of Adams College’s than 46,000 members of the African, Luthuli, President-General of the ANC Shooting Stars, in 1929 he became Coloured and Indian associations under 8 | Playing for Peace REUTERS / THE BIGGER PICTURE BIGGER THE / REUTERS one umbrella body. The strong link founded the Co-ordinating Committee for FIFA President Sepp Blatter (centre) and between non-racial liberation politics International Recognition of Sport (CCIRS), South African Minister Tokyo Sexwale and football was further underlined with “the single, simple principle [t]hat (right) with former members of the when in 1953 the recently formed all South Africans should be allowed to Makana Football Association on Robben Congress Alliance14 organised a highly represent their country - if they are good Island, South Africa, December 2009. publicised soccer match between enough”.16 In 1958, Brutus also set up ‘Veterans’ and ‘Youth’ on a farm outside the South African Sports Association Johannesburg. Together with the future (SASA), which with support by the ANC by denying them access to proper playing ANC President Oliver Tambo, stalwarts lobbied international sports federations to grounds.