Unsatisfactory response by Joburg City officials frustrates Alex Rugby Club
Rugby is a popular sport in Alexandra township but the lack of sports facilities is frustrating rugby clubs.
Rugby is a popular sport in Alexandra township but the lack of sports facilities is frustrating rugby clubs.
Alexandra, one of the oldest townships in the country, is synonymous with producing high profile individuals who have raised the country’s flag high in various sectors. In music, it has produced Hugh Masekela and Caiphus Semenya. In politics there is Paul Mashatile and Kgalema Motlanthe while in sports the list is endless. The names of Shoes Moshoeu, Brian Baloyi, Shakes Kungoane and Maimane Alfred Phiri quickly come to mind as those who have excelled on the international sporting stage.
Mdantsane is known for its love of sport, especially boxing and rugby, but a small audit of the facilities proves that they are in a poor state.
Mdantsane, the second biggest township in South Africa, is located between East London and King William’s town. “MDA” as it’s referred to by those who live in it, was established in the late 1960’s as a result of the East Bank/West Bank forced removal of residents, who were separated by the Buffalo River. Under the reign of white dominance, the native people fought a number of battles protecting their land, but they were defeated and driven off the river banks. Mdantsane was built as a concentration camp, where white industries draw labour, and enslave black people to keep their businesses running at low cost.
The Rugby World Cup has come and gone and the Boks team is still a topical issue. With only 8 black players in the team that competed in the world cup, transformation of rugby remains necessary.
In order to deal with the challenge of poor rugby development in Khayelitsha, Connect Community Development established a rugby academy to nurture the skills of young rugby players and afford them an opportunity to play rugby.