Healing The Wounds Of History With Football

By STEVE TSHWETE

outh Africa's Minister of Sport, Steve Tshwete, served a 15-year prison sentence on Robben Island for furthering the aims of the outlawed African National Congress. While in prison Tshwete was president of the inmates' athletic association and played center forward for DynaSpurs in the Robben Island league. His dream then was to get off the infamous Island. His dream now is to see Bafana Bafana, the nickname of the South African team, which means "the Boys," make its mark in the World Cup.

"Soccer is seen as being probably the most effective sport in reconciliation and nation-building of the new South Africa. It blazed the trail of non-racialism. In the African townships it is the sport that brings people together. The fact that the coach and the captain of Bafana Bafana who took us to win the Africa Nations Cup [in 1996] were white [Clive Barker coach, Neil Tovey, captain] was of no consequence. National support for Bafana Bafana continues to show that soccer is an all-race affair. I think the Boys will do us proud in France. Obviously the first game is the big test. It's a tough one--playing against the host country. I'll be there all the way. Soccer at this level is not for the feeble or the faint-hearted. We have young talent like Benni McCarthy--a top goal scorer in the African Nations Cup--and the more seasoned players like Lucas Radebe [captain], Phil Masinga, Eric Tinkler and Mark Fish all have European football experience. I think that South African soccer now has so much national pride going for it that it will deliver on the day. All I can say is Siyaya eFrance--France here we come!"