George Moyo’s mission to instill respect and ubuntu in youth

Alex businessman George Moyo is on a mission to revive and cultivate the African cultural values and traditions of respect and ubuntu that once embodied the township but are now in short supply.

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Speaking in an interview, soon after the launch of the Respect and Ubuntu Heritage Cup at Millie’s Place in East Bank, Moyo, founder and chairperson of the Respect and Ubuntu Foundation and the Shosholoza clothing brand, said he was motivated to launch the soccer tournament when, “I realised just how sadly our cultural values and traditions of respect and ubuntu had been depleted among the youth of our beloved country.

“The decision to revive the values of respect and ubuntu stems from a growing need to reintroduce and reinforce the social and cultural fabric and principles that once grounded our communities.
“These values were the bedrock of African identity, ensuring empathy, communal support, and shared responsibility, especially when it comes to the raising of our children. As the saying goes: ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, but today the child of my neighbour is no longer my child anymore,” Moyo said.

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Due to society’s evolution, Moyo said there has been a sad shift away from these values and norms. “With the Respect and Ubuntu Heritage Tournament, we aim to remind the people, especially the youth, of their power in fostering unity and community well-being.

“The respect and ubuntu values are not just traditions, they are vital to nurturing a harmonious and inclusive society. I am saddened that this is thinning terribly in our communities today,” Moyo said.
Saying these values were now in short supply in the township, Moyo noted that Alexandra was once a beacon of respect, discipline, and mutual care, yet today, “We see a decline in these values.”
Moyo added the shift was symptomatic of broader societal challenges of urbanisation, socio-economic pressures, and exposure to negative external influences. “The township is grappling with a serious erosion of the very ethos that once made it a place of pride.”
Without disclosing the monetary value of the sponsorship, Moyo said the games had received incredible support from various partners who believe in the power of sports as a vehicle for social change.

“Their contribution is not merely financial but speaks to a shared vision of nurturing positive values among our youth as the future leaders of this community, and indeed the country at large,” Moyo said.
The tournament will be an annual event in the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (LFA) calendar. It will be subject to a mutual desire to renew it further when the current 3-year deal expires in 2027, discounting the inaugural tournament.

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