Johannesburg — Sports minister Nathi Mthethwa says the government is working hard in ensuring the Banyana Banyana players are paid equally as their male counterparts Bafana Bafana after their African triumph.
In the recently concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Banyana clinched the continental crown for the first time ever.
They beat hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final on Saturday to finish the tournament with a 100% winning record, thanks to a Hildah Magaia brace in Rabat.
On Tuesday morning, Banyana received a heroines’ welcome at the Or Tambo International Airport, with the masses showing them love with song and chants.
The dignitaries who welcomed them back home included Mthethwa, who rewarded their triumph with a bonus of R5.8 million, adding to the R9.2 million bonus they were promised by Safa.
Mthethwa, who’s been hounded with controversy recently, including his failed pursuit of erecting a national flag worth R22 million, opened his address to loud boos from the audience.
“Danny Jordaan (the Safa president) is talking about parity, a process that we have finished across all the provinces in ensuring that women are equally paid as the men,” Mthethwa said.
“It’s going to be a law in the country where Banyana Banyana and Bafana Bafana are paid equally because we are making that happen as the government.
“We are not only supporting Banyana Banyana but all the women’s teams as the government. We’ve told Safa that when we give them money, they need to put money aside for women.
“We’ve been doing that for sport in general, whether it’s cricket or rugby. We’ve been doing that and we’ll continue to do that going forward as well.”
The office of Mthethwa has been at the backlash of some heavy criticism, including from celebrities such as Bonang Matheba, due to inferior support they've been giving sport.
But Mthethwa rubbished those claims, saying that they’ve been supporting women’s sport, including football. And that’s why the government was celebrating Banyana's victory.
“We are just informing those that don’t know that we’ve been supporting our teams. We are claiming this victory because we worked for it as the government,” Mthethwa added.
Meanwhile, the newly crowned African Queens are set to meet up with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday morning.
IOL Sport