By Ndzipo Kalipa:
With treasured historical memories and a proud legacy, knowing your history’s passion for sports unity speaks to its era of transformation, colonial egos, and separate sports racism, with regulated facilities, against years of the struggle for restorative justice in sports in South Africa.
That includes the late Minister of Sports Steve Vukile Tshwete and his successors, Ngconde Balfour and the late Makhenkesi Stofile, and others who campaigned for sports transformation within anti-apartheid international support and solidarity for our struggle. We remember the great landmarks associated with sport, the legends and figures of our sporting history, including the writers who helped shape our nation’s journey. Among them and standing tall was Louis Mazibuko from Dube, Soweto, who was a respected sports writer and journalist whose work inspired generations including today’s young reporters who encountered this legend before he passed on in 2020 at 69 years of age.
Louis Mazibuko was humble, approachable, dedicated, and deeply committed to truthful journalism. During the many years of apartheid, when racism and the pass laws were used to divide communities and the nation in general, he wrote courageously about the fragmentation of South African sport. He highlighted the injustices that separated township footballers from opportunities enjoyed by white athletes, and he exposed the unequal development of sports facilities that were reserved for whites only. His writing wasn’t always about matches, scores and players; he often delved into the politics of sports.
Through his skillful writing, characterised by his dribbling old-school English, Bra Louis championed the vision of a united sporting nation. He believed that football and all sports could become powerful instruments of integration, dignity, and social justice. His work helped inspire the dream of a single, non-racial sporting community that South Africans continue to build today.
Journalists like him and many others who made immense contributions to sports transformation using their pens and thought ought to be honoured in an appropriate way. This will be a recognition of the roles they played in restoring the dignity of black people through sports transformation that they influenced.
We humbly propose that a Hall of Fame be established to honour sports historians, analysts and pioneer journalists, such as Louis Mazibuko, whose contributions played a vital role in the unification of South African sport. Their legacy deserves the highest recognition and should continue to inspire future generations to do more and better to emulate them.
This heritage and legacy of the late legendary Louis Mazibuko can be attested by his greatest moments and interactions he had with the institutional memory and the historic information from close friends and associates, Kaiser Chiefs’ boss Dr Kaiser Motaung, Dr Irvin Khoza, Orlando Pirates Club chairperson and black soccer’s great prince, Ephraim Matsilele “Jomo” Sono. All these legends can confirm journalists like Mazibuko and others whose contributions through sports editorial were immense and should be appreciated. He was more than friends to them; he was not only on first-name terms with these big shots; they respected him and his writings.
As new leadership takes office at the South African Football Association (SAFA) and within the Premier Soccer League, we respectfully call upon them to bestow the highest honours on the families of these outstanding pioneers of sports journalism. Recognising their sacrifices and achievements would honour the history of sports unity and preserve their enduring legacy for generations to come.
Ndzipo Kalipa: is an Eastern Cape-bornstruggle veteran and former East Rand activist from Thokoza, a former trade unionist who served in different positions and roles in the Food and Allied Workers Union and the entire trade union movement, and as the treasurer of the SACP Gauteng Province. He later became a Parliamentarian in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, as MMC for Infrastructure at City of Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality and served as an Advisor to the National Rapid Task Team (NRTT) appointed by the Human Settlements Minister, Nomaindia Mfeketo to fast-track stalled housing projects, unblock infrastructure delivery, and conduct site oversight. He is an uncompromising anti-corruption whistle-blower. – @NewsSA_Online
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