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All-powerful South African football club bosses Kaizer Motaung and Irvin Khoza sat side by side this week to show solidarity in the fight against the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates supremos emerged together in public for the first time since they attended the PSL board of governors meeting last month in their capacity as the league’s executives.
The meeting was held to try to formulate a way to rescue what is left of the 2019/20 domestic club season, which remains on hold subject to the green light from government.
But on Wednesday, Motaung and Khoza, who were wearing their caps as club owners, reminded the country that their rivalry was limited to the field of play.
Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, in collaboration with the MultiChoice Group, have joined forces to donate essential equipment to the healthcare sector.
It was at the event in Randburg, Johannesburg, where Khoza also came out publicly for the first time to concede defeat in his side’s spanking by Amakhosi in the most recent Soweto derby in February – the third time Chiefs had beaten Pirates this season.
Motaung explained that the two club’s latest venture sent them down the memory lane.
“It’s important for us to recall the history … that, as much as we are fierce rivals on the pitch, in the early 1980s, we decided that there is more to it than just playing football because we owe it to the communities,” said the man popularly known as Chincha Guluva.
“We started playing testimonials for the players who played for the team at the time, and that birthed the Charity Spectacular, which was aimed at contributing to our communities.
“But, in addition to that, we had other initiatives where we actually contributed quite significantly. One of things that I want to highlight about this partnership between the two teams is that, during the height of political violence in KwaZulu-Natal, we were engaging with the leadership.
We started the Vodacom Challenge and the idea was to address the violence at the stadiums themselves. We tried to show people that, as much we are rivals, we come from the same communities, no matter the political differences. There was a fierce fight going on and people were dying. So we used football to bring people together.
“We are proud to say today that it actually yielded the results – the violence came down. It also brought people together because this is the only derby in the world where it is known that family members are divided, but, on the day of the derby, they travel to the stadium together. It helps people understand that we are all human beings.”
Khoza added: “In the field of play, we are determined to beat each other at every encounter, but we have a history and culture of collaboration in matters of national importance.
“We recognise that, nationwide, Pirates and Chiefs supporters live in the same townships, suburbs and villages, and even in the same homes. Our supporters live, work and socialise together.
“It is a wisdom of this recognition that has strengthened our collaboration in matters of national importance.”
Chiefs and Pirates have played each other three times this season, with Amakhosi clinching wins over the two league rounds and in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals.
While domestic football remains postponed indefinitely, Amakhosi are four points ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns in the race for the Absa Premiership title, while Pirates suffered a huge setback with their defeat to Chiefs in February at FNB Stadium.
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