Chiefs, Pirates confirm Swazi tour
JOBURG - The Swaziland Solidary Network met with the chairpersons of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to appeal to the clubs to withdraw from their forthcoming off-season soccer tournament in Swaziland.
The Swaziland Solidary Network met with the chairpersons of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to appeal to the clubs to withdraw from their forthcoming off-season soccer tournament in Swaziland.
The network expressed their concern and claimed that the Swaziland government would use the tournament for ‘political posturing’.
The Soweto giants’ chairpersons, Kaizer Motaung of Chiefs and Dr Irvin Khoza of Pirates, said that whereas the clubs operate in an environment affected by politics, they cannot use the game to pursue political agendas.
However, the two teams support democracy and respect human rights, the chairpersons emphasised. They explained to the network that the tournament was organised as an initiative by the clubs for the benefit of soccer development in the region, and to use the unifying power of the beautiful game in response to the xenophobic challenges that resurfaced in South Africa.
Given the advanced stage in the planning of the tournament and the contractual obligations on the clubs, it was agreed that a follow-up meeting will take place when the two clubs return from Swaziland.
During apartheid, the liberation movements in South Africa vigorously campaigned against sporting ties with the apartheid regime for its racial segregation policies, and football was one of those sporting codes affected by isolation.
Details: www.kaizerchiefs.com or www.orlandopiratesfc.com
