Sport has a cunning, yet magical way of bringing people together, no matter one’s race, creed or colour.
Recent impressions on the official South African Government X account which is managed by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), has shown that a social media post on swimmer Tatjana Smith clinching gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the 2024 Olympics garnered 68,144 impressions.
The post also garnered 65,794 engagements on Facebook.
Likewise, when Team South Africa secured silver in the men’s 4x100m relay at the same Paris Olympics, the subsequent post garnered 50,104 impressions on X and 12,211 post engagements on Facebook.
And that is quite impressive for social media pages owned by government, as some people may shun government messaging for different reasons.
While citizens may have negative feelings towards government, people do engage with what our government has to say. The figures generated above are indicative of this.
Despite the challenges that hammer society, including inequality and unemployment, sport mends and stitches together the fabric of society despite the trials.
In his congratulatory message to our sporting stars, when he was Acting President, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that sport has a “unique ability to bring South Africans together and uplift the nation's spirit, even amidst our challenges.”
Mashatile’s comments came as our athletes made the nation proud, including sprinter Mpumelelo Mhlongo who secured South Africa’s first medal at the now concluded 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, winning gold in his 100m event.
Bayanda Walaza made history in Peru, becoming the fastest young man on earth with remarkable times of 10.19 seconds in the 100m sprint and 20.52 seconds in the 200m sprint.
What Mashatile said goes hand in hand with President Nelson Mandela’s address to the first Laureus World Sports Awards back in 2000, wherein he said that sport has the “power to inspire” and the “power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
The awards honour and celebrate the world’s greatest sportspersons and what the Laureus organisation terms “the inspirational power of sport and its ability to change lives.”
Prior to democracy, one’s skin colour dictated every aspect of life and what one could and could not do, even aspects of playing sport. Much has changed since those dark apartheid years, and all of South Africa’s people can now participate in the sport of their choice.
Now that the Paralympic and Olympic Games have ended, I carry a sense of sadness of no longer being able to watch (for the next four years, that is,) the human spirit’s strength in overcoming adversity to overcome and win, in addition to many hours athletes put in to hone their craft.
While I will have to wait for years for the next summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the United States, what is pleasing to the eye is that South Africa claimed six medals in five sporting codes, including a gold earned by swimmer Tatjana Smith, three silvers earned by the Smith, the men's 4 x 100m relay team, and Jo-Ane van Dyk, who participated in the javelin throw.
The Paralympic team also made the nation proud with a tally of six medals, of which two are gold and were earned by discus thrower Simone Kruger and Mhlongo. The country also earned four bronze medals at the games, in which 168 countries participated.
To top that off, monetary incentives for medallists in the Paralympics are the same as those who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This goes to show that differently abled athletes are being seen and heard just as other athletes.
South Africa’s National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) makes reference to the government placing a special emphasis on “the inclusion, empowerment and promotion of the government’s priority groups”, that also includes people with disabilities.
The courage showed by para-athletes is evidence that anyone can achieve their dreams. This goes some way in encouraging those living with a disability not to hide who they are, but to explore their abilities, which could one day put them on the world stage.
The Paralympics have come a long way since the ninth International Stoke Mandeville Games—considered to have been the first Paralympic Games—took place in 1960 with just 23 nations participating at the time.
As a society we need to learn more not only about the sporting codes our para-athletes play but also about how we can be considerate of the needs of people living with disabilities while also being supportive.
However, the conclusion of the games does not mean the end of the magic of the mesmerising power of sports. The sounds of blaring whistles and red and yellow cards bandied about on the pitch continue, and it requires our collective support.
The past weekend saw our sportsmen and women claim glory on the pitch with the Springboks triumphant in their second clash against the All Blacks in the 2024 Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
On the same day, the Springbok Women won their match against the Barbarians Women’s side.
Not wanting to be left out, Bafana Bafana equalised in their clash against Uganda; the men’s national football side drew 2-2 with their counterparts in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at Orlando Stadium.
While the national men’s side has had struggles, they continue to flight, and Friday’s draw shows their efforts to claim glory.
Previously, Bafana coach Hugo Broos had raised concern about the little fan support the team was garnering at matches. We can play our part by supporting the national team as they aim to qualify for the AFCON in Morocco in 2025.
The qualifiers will determine the 24 teams that will contest the 35th edition of the AFCON tournament.
As fans, we have magical powers that can egg on our teams to reach victory, which not only leaves us with an exhilarating feeling, but also helps to build national pride.
Just as South Africa is a melting pot of diverse cultures, we ought to support all our athletes and sporting codes. After all, variety is the spice of life, and every egg and piece of steak needs some spice. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo Semono is a Features Editor at SAnews.gov.za
