All systems go for Alex June 16 celebratory feast

It’s all systems go for the Alex June 16 celebratory feast of a sumptuous meal and football that will pit the two most famous townships of Johannesburg, Alex and Soweto, against one another in the various categories of the beautiful game on 26 June.

According to the secretary general of Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association, Mafika Morajane, who oversees the organisation of the games in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the student uprising, preparations for this huge celebratory tournament were advancing according to plan.

Morajane said they were expecting the stadium to be filled to the rafters but their only challenge is that the celebration coincided with the ever-popular Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games 2016.

“We’re looking at filling the venue, which is the Alexandra Stadium, to its capacity of about 10 000 spectators but we will have to compete with the Map Games at the Rotary Grounds, which might pose a bit of a challenge,” Morajane said.

He appealed to the people of Alexandra to come in their numbers to celebrate this iconic day in the political history of the country, which, he said was credited with ushering in the freedom being enjoyed today.

The celebration will not just be a football spectacle for the lovers of the beautiful game but also a meaty feast for the community in which the organisers, the City of Johannesburg, has promised to slaughter two cows to feed the public.

Among the dignitaries to grace the occasion will be the Executive Mayor himself and ANC candidate in the upcoming Municipal elections, Councillor Mpho Parks Tau, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and other senior government and City officials.

“Our most important VIPs of the day will be the people of Alexandra and hence we call upon them to come and celebrate this anniversary with their beloved football fraternity,” Morajane added.

He commended what he called the ‘strong partnership’ that now exists between Alex football and the City, and said football will also stand to benefit immensely as they anticipate that Makhura will launch the Premier Cup.

It is hoped this Premier Cup will be contested by all the winners of the current Mayoral Cup. “This tells you that Alex is the hub of football in Gauteng, and it will benefit us a lot as their visit will inspire them to do something about the state of the famous Alex Stadium.”

On the football front, Morajane said Soweto was coming to Alex for a humiliating drubbing. In the same tournament, in Soweto on 11 June, Alex Ladies hammered their counterparts 5–1 and Morajane said they were expecting a repeat of that score, if not more goals.