Machoga recalls pain of being black netball Protea

Like many sports, apartheid-era netball was not welcoming to black people. Just like in rugby and cricket, black players experienced systematic racism but still persevered to be counted among the best in their chosen sports. 

In netball, Martha “Manzo” Machoga ruffled some feathers when she pushed her into the national team – Spar Proteas.  Despite her brilliance as a goal shooter, Machoga rubbed the purists the wrong way with her flamboyant style on the court, adding that contributed to her experiencing subtle racism.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday on the sidelines of the Johannesburg stop of the Netball World Cup trophy tour at the mayoral chambers in Braamfontein, Machoga shared her experiences of her time in the Proteas setup. 

“Way back then when I was still playing, there were only two of us – the late Rosina Mogola and I – and most of the time it was only us two black players in the team,” Machoga said.

“It was tough because we were black players, they were treating us as ‘blacks’. Everything we were doing was separate, like blacks and whites. They would hire two kombis, we would get into the kombi with the whites and they would move to another one," Machoga recalls.

"It was tough when we were sitting at a table... We couldn’t sit with [the white players] unless the netball president of that country comes. They would say ‘Manzo sit there and Rosina sit there’. It was hard for us.”

“It was not easy for us because of racism and all that stuff. At least we laid the foundation for [current players]. Now they are getting paid and at least there are five [black players in the team] unlike us back then when we were only two players.”

Machoga from Soweto is considered one of the greats to grace the court. She’s played in three World Cups, three Commonwealth Games, four Cosana Games and two All-Africa Games and amassed over 151 caps.

As one of the people who paved the way for black players in netball, Machoga is excited to see the current crop of black players who include Proteas captain Bongi Msomi, Khanyisa Chawane, Owethu Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa and Phumza Maweni get the chance to play at the home World Cup, hosted in Cape Town from July 28 to August 16. 

"These players are looking at me as a role model. I stayed there through thick and thin and I always talk to them. I know it’s tough; I’ve been there but stick to your talent and what the coach is telling you. All the black players in the team deserve to be there, that’s what I’ve told them.”