It flashed past us in a rather understated way with minimal fuss. But having a Currie Cup match being played in the Cape Flats suburb of Athlone last Friday night was the kind of catalyst for social change sorely needed for this important part of our city, writes Gasant Abarder in a new #SliceOfGasant column.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here.
It’s the birthplace of the gatsby, the area where South African footballing icon Quinton Fortune was raised, the suburb that gave us music legend Jonathan Butler and where dozens of activists fought for our country to be free.
It’s the 7764 – Athlone, the postal code made famous by the area’s top musician Jimmy Nevis. Called the Salon, or ATL, if you like, by its locals. It is a vibrant mix of culture, colour, food and art. And now it’s a host to high-level rugby too.
Nevis sings in 7764:
‘I know where we’re from
Proud of our roots Madiba manufactured No China in these shoes They call it heaven They call it hell I run this town Shout out ATL’At the weekend, an underreported yet significant event occurred that may have given the Wynand Claassens of this world – who wanted Newlands Rugby Stadium declared a heritage site and turned into a museum – a bad bout of heartburn. Nevis’s ‘ghetto nirvana’ played host to a Western Province Currie Cup match at the Athlone Stadium on Friday night.
The late Danie Craven, who said black people shouldn’t or couldn’t play rugby, would’ve hated to see it.
The move by the rugby union may have been fortuitous. A bright spark at the City of Cape Town thought it a good idea to squeeze a Monster Jam trucking event at the DHL Stadium smack bang in the middle of the Stormer’s incredible run in the United Rugby Championship where they’ve made the final as defending champs for the second season running.
The Stormers themselves have left the pitch a mess that it shares with Cape Town City Football Club for PSL home games. The very skilled players of the Citizens have a torrid time playing their fluid passing game on the cabbage patch. So, the pitch at the DHL Stadium needs rest.
But it has created great new opportunities for Athlone Stadium and the people of the Salon. The stadium is a cold place to visit and feels incomplete as the wind creeps in between the four stands. Western Province should consider making Athlone Stadium a permanent home and spruce up the facilities.
We know PSL matches are played there but there are only really crowds when Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns are the visiting teams. Rugby pulls crowds and creates a second economy for informal traders.
In addition, any event creates a safety net for the residents who live close to the stadium. I drove past the stadium yearning to go inside and I probably would have had I not found out so late the Currie Cup match was to be played at Athlone.
What I saw was a ring of steel created by SAPS, the City of Cape Town metro police, law enforcement and traffic police. For a few hours at least, the area would be crime free with the hosting of a Currie Cup match.
It also allows the other side, the well-heeled of our city, to visit other parts of Cape Town, especially the Cape Flats. Right across the road, you can experience the best of the Cape Flats on Klipfontein Road. The most delicious fare – from polony chiprolls, koesisters, samoosas, mutton salomies, gatsbys and the famous Wembley Roadhouse down the road. There are loads of bargains at the dozens of businesses in the area.
The people from Athlone could also benefit from a fanwalk on Klipfontein Road where they can sell their wares and food to the thronging crowds coming to watch the rugby.
I’ve always loved how Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Stadium sits in the heart of a suburb in the city, and the iconic brand’s success has meant success for its neighbours. In the same way, the residents of Kewtown (which Quinton Fortune called home), Athlone, could massively benefit from a permanent Western Province rugby move to the area.
The union can make the stadium its head office at the grounds. The investment in the area will become a catalyst for social change, and with WP Rugby as the anchor tenant, it will encourage a whole host of other businesses and organisations to follow suit.
We saw the huge role rugby played at the dawn of our democracy when the Springboks won the World Cup on home soil. Rugby in South Africa is intrinsically linked to nation-building and social cohesion.
I’m not the biggest WP and Stormers follower in town, I must admit. But if the union makes this giant leap for the people of Athlone and the Cape Flats, I will be the biggest fan of the team in the hooped blue and white shirts. It’s a no-brainer, really.
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