OWAYENGUMENGAMELI wokuqala wentando yabantu eNingizimu Afrika uNelson Mandela wake wathi: "Akukhathalekile ukuthi ikati limnyama noma limhlophe inqobo nje uma liwabamba amagundane."
UMandela kwakuyindoda ekhaliphile kakhulu, ngakho le nkulumo yakhe ngikholwa ukuthi yayingaqondile ikati langempela kodwa inomqondo ojulile. Kuyaziwa ukuthi uMandela ngesikhathi ethatha izintambo njengomengameli wezwe ngemuva kokhetho luka-1994, abaningi babecabanga ukuthi uzokhipha umyalelo wokuthi ababengabacindezeli abaphume baphele eNingizimu Afrika.
Nokho uMadiba akazange asikaze nokusikaza ukuya ngalapho. Kunalokho wakubeka kwacaca ukuthi izwe lethu liyabadinga abamhlophe, ngakho sasingekho isidingo sokuthi baxoshwe ngoba nakhu umbuso usuwele ezandleni zabamnyama.
Ngicabanga ukuthi ngale nkulumo yekati elimnyama noma elimhlophe okaMadiba wayeqonde ukuthi akukhathalekile ukuthi ubani ozokwenza izwe libuseke ngendlela eyanelisa wonke umuntu inqobo nje uma kungekho ozokhala ekugcineni. Ngiyazi bakhona-ke abasakholwa ukuthi uMandela wabadayisa abamnyama kodwa mina ngiyakholwa ukuthi ‘amakati’ kwakumele asebenzisane wonke (amnyama namhlophe) ukufeza umsebenzi wokuqeda ‘amagundwane’ ayekhungethe izwe. Angiphumeke kwipolitiki ngigxile kulokhu engikwazi kangcono - ezemidlalo.
Ngiyazi ukuthi abaningi bakhale kakhulu ngeqembu elikhethwe uStuart Baxter njengoba iBafana Bafana izobhekana neLibya emdlalweni obalulekile wokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Umdlalo ungeSonto ngo-7 ebusuku kanti kumele nakanjani ingashaywa iBafana ukuze izicabele indlela ebheke kweyamanqamu e-Egypt ngoJuni. Nami nje ngicabanga ukuthi kukhona abadlali obekumele abafake uBaxter. Nokho kumele sikhumbule ukuthi akubona bonke abadlali esifisa ukuthi babizwe eqenjini lesizwe abazozithola bebalwa njalo uma uBaxter ememezela iqembu lakhe.
UBaxter ungumqeqeshi owaziyo ukuthi yini ayifunayo nokuthi yibaphi abadlali afuna bamenzele umsebenzi. Noma kungathiwa ubeka izizathu esingazizwa kahle ngokushiya abadlali abathize kodwa kumele simyeke enze umsebenzi wakhe ngoba uyena owaqashwa yiSouth African Football Association (Safa).
Ekugcineni ngethemba ukuthi umqeqeshi ufisa into efanayo nethandazelwa yisizwe sonke, ukuthi iBafana izibekisele indawo kwi-Afcon ka-2019. Angikholwa ukuthi angavele enze ngamabomu nje ukukhetha iqembu elixegayo nelingeke liwenze umsebenzi ngoba naye kunesithunzi okumele asivikele njengomqeqeshi.
Engifuna ukukusho lapha ukuthi akukhathalekile ukuthi abadlali baliphi iqembu ababizwe kwiBafana, okubaluleke kunakho konke ukuthi laba abaseTunisia kuyimanje bawenze ngendlela umsebenzi ukuze isizwe siziqhenye.
Akuqali ngoBaxter ukuthi akhethe iqembu bese kuba nemvunge. Empeleni nje kunzima ukwenelisa abalandeli bebhola baseNingizimu Afrika ngoba bahlale benemibono yabo abakholwa ukuthi ishaya khona.
Kukhona nalabo bamaqembu athathwa njengamakhulu eNingizimu Afrika abahlale bebanga ukuthi yibaphi abadlali okumele babe kwiBafana. Akusizi-ke ukuthi seseke iBafana ngendlela esilandela ngayo amaqembu adlala kwi-Absa Premiership. Uma umdlali kumfanele ukuba seqenjini lesizwe kumele abizwe kungakhathalekile ukuthi udlalela iKaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates noma iBaroka FC. Noma sibona ukuthi akumfanele thina siwuquqaba kodwa kumele sihloniphe isinqumo somqeqeshi weqembu lesizwe okunguyena owaqashwa ngoba ethenjiwe.
Empeleni nje kumele ayekwe umqeqeshi akhethe ngendlela yakhe, sekuyothi mhla sekucaca ukuthi wehlulekile bese iSafa ithathe izinyathelo ezifanele.
Kule mpelasonto okubalulekile ukuthi iBafana izibekisele indawo kwi-Afcon, ukuthi kuzobe kudlala bani yinto engabalulekile nakancane. Sonke sifuna ukubuya eTunisia silibambile igundwane esiyolizingela, ikati okuyilona elizolinqaka kuqala akumele silibale ukubheka umbala walo. Phezu kwabo Bafana Bafana!
Phansi Emgodini