The All Africa Games in Zimbabwe were plagued by disorganisation but it was still an occasion for Africa to celebrate
ATHLETICS: Julian Drew
THE cynics said they would never take place on time, and when they did, spent most of their time whining about poor organisation and anything else they could think of to denigrate Africa’s biggest sporting
But take place they did, and although the All Africa Games in Harare might not have been quite the same as the smooth, slick, multi-million rand marketing extravaganza that goes by the name of the Olympic Games, they have still been an occasion to celebrate and savour. An expression of the best, and sometimes the worst, that Africa has to offer.
>From the poorly attended International Olympic Committee (IOC) media workshop with its glossy oh-so- very-tastefully produced freebie The Olympic Movement, to the magnificent but little publicised Art against Apartheid exhibition sponsored by the United Nations at the national gallery, before being donated to the people of South Africa next month, the tone was set for a feast of disordered splendour.
At the opening ceremony, the underlying theme to the choreography seemed to be borrowed from the random chaos theory. The main guest of honour, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, was inadvertently left out of the opening speeches by his enthusiastic hosts who seemed unaware of his rather embarrassed, thumb- twiddling presence on the podium beside them.
But it doesn’t help to complain. Just shrug your shoulders and carry on, this is the All Africa Games.
In the impressive 66 000 capacity National Sports Stadium there were more athletes and officials than paying spectators but athletics, even though it is the one sport in which Africa dominates the world, has never been popular among Africans. Not even the R2 entrance fee could entice a population where 44 percent are unemployed and many of the rest earn no more than the minimum wage of under R400 per month.
The fact that the competitions started at about 4pm when most people were at work and the out-of-town stadium is served by poor public transport did not help, but that never prevents a sell-out crowd attending an international soccer match.
A non-existent results service for the media, a medal ceremony that interrupted the women’s 100m final with the athletes already in their blocks, and a track umpire instructing his judges to prepare for the 1 500m when the race about to start was the women’s 400m final are all typical examples of the first few days of competition. But people learned quickly on their feet and things had improved dramatically by the end.
The lasting images will be of Maria Mutola’s awesome destruction of the 800m field, the brilliant African record of Nigerian 400m runner Fatima Yusuf and Zimbabwe’s jubilation when its marathon runners claimed gold and silver. So sit back and enjoy, this is the All Africa Games.
Over at the swimming pool in the spacious, leafy suburb of Mount Pleasant the small, tightly packed audience was almost exclusively white. They were there to see the diving where Zimbabwe’s one metre springboard world champion won two gold medals for the host nation in a setting that could have been plucked from the colonial era. This too is the All Africa Games.
The boxing tournament was supposed to have taken place at the Harare Sheraton, that ugly blight on the city landscape which the locals are so proud of. Fortunately, the convention centre had been pre-booked by the world solar energy convention and the boxing tournament was moved to Seke Hall in the high-density suburb (the local euphemism for township) of Chitungwiza, 30km from the city centre. Situated next to the Rusunuguko (Freedom) Beer Hall, the venue was always filled to capacity with well-oiled and vociferous spectators.
In the opening bout of the tournament the ring promptly collapsed, but after some hasty repairs the show was on the road again. As Peggie’s Catering Service dispensed blackened, roasted mopane worms and sun-dried capenta to incredulous VIPs and journalists, the small hall with its low asbestos roof drawing in the afternoon heat shook to the rhythms of Africa as teammates sang encouragement to their compatriots in the ring.
When a Zimbabwean fought the noise reached a deafening crescendo which more than once carried an inferior local craftsman to victory. But the overall winner was boxing and the high standards on display were nowhere more artistically exemplified than through the silky skills of Durban’s Buhlalu brothers, Irvin and Kenneth.
And when all the thumping and trading of leather was over cameraderie was at hand to remind us that this is just a sport after all. A gentle pat on the head, a warm embrace or a full-blooded kiss on both cheeks signified the end of each fight, depending on the cultural origins of the protagonists. This is the All Africa Games.
A few kilometres away next to Chitungwiza’s modern city centre and shopping arcade stands the town’s brand-new Olympic standard swimming complex. It was here that South Africa’s swimmers swept the medal board clean and Penny Heyns showed in the breast stroke why she is one of the favourites for gold in Atlanta next year.
But the complex, with its accompanying sports hall which staged the handball competition, is a permanent legacy to the people of Chitungwiza which will long outlive the memories of the past 10 days of
For them at least a new swimming pool to while away a hot summer’s day is the All Africa Games.
An invitation to Zico’s Place, an open air bar and dance hall near Chitungwiza, followed the boxing and swimming. We were offered roasted mazondo (lower leg of a cow) to go with our Zambezi beer. It’s good for chipompi chipompi said the locals, referring to its reputation as an aphrodisiac. It certainly looked more appetising than the susu (intestines known as “the Bible” in English because they resemble a book when cut
On Friday the boxing finals will determine the gold medallists in the various weight divisions and on Saturday the footballl final will take place before the closing ceremony brings the curtain down for another four years. Then there will be a 24-hour music festival starring the king of chimurenga music, Thomas Mapfumo, to bring the 10-day party to a glorious finale.
While the Eurocentric party poopers will look for more reasons to run down the Games, Zimbabwe and Africa will celebrate. After all, they have just staged the All Africa Games and not even President Robert Mugabe criticised the gay abandon shown by all.