What used to bring people together, sport now makes them sick!

This Covid-19 pandemic is ruining our sport, especially the development of football in this country. For two years now the development of football has been affected by this pandemic.

With President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing a nationwide lockdown due to the 3rd wave of Covid-19 last Sunday, SAFA has suspended the amateur football activities and this situation will affect the development of sports in the long run, especially the development of athletes.

This is because the President’s plea to people to adhere to Covid-19 regulations falls on deaf ears that is why we find ourselves where we are now. Our families, friends, colleagues die every day because of Covid-19 but for some of some, it is still life as usual. TOUCHLINE also blames sports people because they contribute to the situation that we find ourselves in now.

Point in case, go to any sporting activities, you will see players, coaches and officials without masks.

How so!

These are the people who are supposed to know better than everyone, to protect our society. To be more direct, when the SAB League and Local Football Associations play games, there are no masks, no sanitizers and no social distance. It is life as normal for them regardless of the challenge we are faced with in this country.

We invited the third wave because we never comply to the Covid-19 pandemic regulations and now we want to play victims knowing exactly we are to blame for the country being in the 3rd wave of Covid-19. Our ignorance as a nation has leaded us here.

If sports people could have taken the initiative to join the fight against those who broke the Covid-19 regulations I don’t think this country would be experiencing the 3rd wave of Covid-19. Sports is a key tool to fight any form of injustice in our society. Sports is not only about playing but taking care of our own environment.

The role of sport apart from uniting people is also to fight against those who don’t respect the justice systems in our own community. I always tell everyone who cares to listen that, yours truly, TOUCHLINE, grew up in sports especially being from a football family and community where the respect was always preached by our elderly.

It is inhuman to be ‘caged’ people, but what do we do when we behave like animals even when we are told to comply to Covid-19 regulations such wearing a mask, sanitize and social distance?

We do not comply!

Week-in-week and out there are illegal gatherings including at the sports tournaments that are not sanctioned by Safa which is a custodian of football.

This beautiful game gave me everything, the life that I’m living and the job that I’m doing. I mean everything! The same sport gave me education and taught me how to become a better and responsible person. TOUCHLINE challenges all people who are involved to stand up and save our sports and our country.

We are bleeding as the nation!