History In The Making

Just sometimes, you know you are experiencing history at the very moment it is happening. Like tonight. The Super 14 rugby finals. But so much more than that. Firstly, the match was played at Orlando Stadium. In Soweto. (The huge black township near Johannesburg, if you didn't know that) Rugby is usually seen as a "white" game, played largely by white players and watched mainly by white spectators. (As opposed to soccer (football) which is perceived as being a largely "black" game, played and watched in SA largely by black people. All these perceptions we shattered tonight Racial divides crumbled Vuvulelas were played by "boere" (white Afrikaners) Loudly And incessantly. In a stadium In Soweto. And they LOVED it! The excitement, enjoyment, cameraderie, between people of all races, was palpable Even to us who were just watching on TV. The noise level from the vuvuzelas rivalled the decibels of any soccer game And it was mainly generated by the very people who used to complain about them. The people of Soweto graciously welcomed the rugby fans into their domain with open arms; got excited about the rugby with them; drank side by side with these former foes in the local shebeens (pubs); rejoiced in the exhibition of raw power and skill displayed by both teams. The outcome (our team lost honourably) is almost not a factor, so much else, so much more was going on here today. The partying will go on tonight, till late no doubt. My hope is that what was started today, will continue to roll out into the future. It is unexpectedly wonderful happenings like this, that makes me love being a South African. Amongst other things, of course. From a "Proudly South African" allie