As we send the Springboks off to defend the World Cup Championship in Europe, one can’t help but to feel warm and fuzzy observing the excitement and hope from the diverse fans as they sang and danced while interacting with the players at OR Tambo International airport.
One remembers the role the Springboks played when South Africa won the World Cup title in 1995 of inspiring reconciliation in the country after apartheid had ended in 1994. It was an apt opportunity that then president Nelson Mandela used to symbolically model that a divided nation can come together and be victorious as one.
The Springboks’ magic didn’t end there, after much resistance to transform the sport to include more black players, Siya Kolisi was appointed as the first black captain in 2018, a huge honour in rugby where being the captain is highly revered.
As if to give reasons to believe that a diverse team is essential for success in a country as diverse as South Africa where playing your best across all racial lines is your unique advantage, as the first black captain leading a diverse team, Kolisi went on to lead the team to victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final against England. This was another exhilarating and teachable moment for the country.
Banyana Banyana and the Spar Proteas exposed us to yet other teachable moments last week about what happens when a country provides opportunities to all and being inclusive in supporting talent.
From fighting unfair gender pay gap Banyana Banyana went on to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time and making history by becoming the first South African soccer team to do so. Meanwhile, as the host team, the Spar Proteas played with determination and hunger until their 2-goal difference loss to Uganda’s team and ended the tournament on a high, having played an impressive game.
In the height of Covid-19 when the entire world was grounded, the Jerusalema song by Master KG, featuring Nomcebo Zikode gave us hope and a much-needed sense of connectedness as humans globally. It was inspiring to watch the dance videos posted on social media platforms and the challenge to try the dance moves and join the sharing of videos that went viral. This was yet a teachable moment about the role of creativity and innovation in an unknown world order and desperate time to stay sane and hopeful.
We have many such examples in everyday life of how sport and the arts have the uncanny ability to transcend cultural barriers, language political and otherwise to bring people together as members of the human race. The arts bring colour to an otherwise dull world. It promotes expression and help us develop the much-needed soft skills for human connection.
Yet, it’s easy to downplay their overall importance in society and communities. Art therapy for instance, has been proven to help children cope and overcome trauma. Art can also be a window to history by providing context of what a generation was facing and how they overcame, which can contribute to who we are as a people. Song and dance can be a powerful human connector as we saw during Covid-19.
It can also help a people to cope with struggle and trauma as we saw during struggle days in South Africa, where songs such as “Dubula Ibhunu” were therapeutic for oppressed black people but are divisive in the current context. The arts and sport also play an important role in economic development as economic research indicates that thriving cultural life generates job creation, tourism and creates visibility for cities.
We have seen the impact of these as outcomes but there are also the lessons to garner from the sheer determination it takes to stay on top of the game and compete to win. The resilience needed to diligently practice day in and out for a match that will only last an hour or a song that will be 2 minutes long but will leave a lasting impact.
As a country we find ourselves at a cross-roads when it comes to economic growth and the structural transformation of the economy. Thirty years of democracy has triggered a sense of restlessness about how much longer it will take to bring more marginalised populations into the mainstream economy.
Perhaps it is time we look to the arts and sport for inspiration on how to remain resilient during these difficult moments of high unemployment, particularly that of the youth. We must be inspired to dig out our sense of determination and creativity to find new solutions to these old problems. It’s now or never, let’s get our game on!
Dr Sibongile Vilakazi is the president of the Black Management Forum.
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