Amid the doom and despair over South African music icon Lucky Dube's murder, the Amabhokobhoko lifted the gloom with their masterful triumph over England to scoop the Rugby World Cup.
Amid the doom and despair over South African music icon Lucky Dube's murder, the Amabhokobhoko lifted the gloom with their masterful triumph over England to scoop the Rugby World Cup.
Before then, fate had saddled South Africans with a fusion of conflicting emotions at a rather inopportune moment. A nation mourning the death of one its most famous sons had to simultaneously muster its collective spirit over an envisaged Boks win.
And, when the grand of display of guts, blood, sweat and tears culminated in vanquishing the English on French soil, the same nation had to unceremoniously yank off its mourning cloak to succumb to an combustible burst of sporting fervour.
It was to be a national outpouring equal to or greater than the one witnessed during the memorable 1995 Rugby World Cup and Bafana Bafana's 1996 African Confederation of Nations Cup victories.
Not even words can fully describe the effect of such great victories on our sense of nationhood and identity.
Naturally, the weekend victory will certainly generate spirited conjecture about change on either side of the transformation divide.
T he thorny debate must be underscored by a common understanding that the imperative for competitive national teams is sacrosant.
Viva Amabhokobhoko!
Hold on to our heroes
Amid the doom and despair over South African music icon Lucky Dube's murder, the Amabhokobhoko lifted the gloom with their masterful triumph over England to scoop the Rugby World Cup.
Amid the doom and despair over South African music icon Lucky Dube's murder, the Amabhokobhoko lifted the gloom with their masterful triumph over England to scoop the Rugby World Cup.
Before then, fate had saddled South Africans with a fusion of conflicting emotions at a rather inopportune moment. A nation mourning the death of one its most famous sons had to simultaneously muster its collective spirit over an envisaged Boks win.
And, when the grand of display of guts, blood, sweat and tears culminated in vanquishing the English on French soil, the same nation had to unceremoniously yank off its mourning cloak to succumb to an combustible burst of sporting fervour.
It was to be a national outpouring equal to or greater than the one witnessed during the memorable 1995 Rugby World Cup and Bafana Bafana's 1996 African Confederation of Nations Cup victories.
Not even words can fully describe the effect of such great victories on our sense of nationhood and identity.
Naturally, the weekend victory will certainly generate spirited conjecture about change on either side of the transformation divide.
T he thorny debate must be underscored by a common understanding that the imperative for competitive national teams is sacrosant.
Viva Amabhokobhoko!