Thousands of people in Pretoria turned up in rainy weather on Friday for a parade to celebrate the Springboks’ victory in the Rugby World Cup a week ago. Central Pretoria came to a standstill with many office workers taking time out to catch a glimpse of the national heroes.
The team on Friday morning met President Thabo Mbeki at the Union Buildings before embarking on the parade. They were due in Johannesburg later in the day — and in Soweto on Saturday, after a public outcry over the initial cancellation of that leg of the victory tour.
In Pretoria, several onlookers moved to rooftops in the city centre to get a view of the Amabokoboko as they made their way through the streets in an open-top bus.
A chorus of vuvuzelas sounded throughout the city as excited fans followed the parade. The song Ole, Ole, Ole could also be heard.
As the bus made its way down Pretorius Street, many motorists stuck in traffic got out to join the throngs of fans screaming their support.
The excitement reached a crescendo whenever one of the rugby players held up the Webb Ellis trophy.
The players, dressed in their green-and-gold blazers, waved to the crowd, which included street vendors who left their stalls unattended and many schoolchildren. Even the stalls of the South African Revenue Service emptied as the parade wound its way through Church Square.
Posters that read ”Baie dankie, Boks, vir die moerse babalaas [Thank you, Boks, for the massive hangover]”, ”Hier kom die Bokke [Here come the Boks]” and ”Jake must stay” were held up high.
Rugby chiefs said on Friday that the Springboks will tour Soweto as part of the nationwide victory parade after an outcry over a decision to bypass the township.
”Tomorrow morning [Saturday] our team, the coach, the manager, the captain, early in the morning, are going to Soweto,” said SA Rugby president Oregan Hoskins, speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria where the team began their parade.
SA Rugby, already under fire over the lack of black players in the Springbok team, said on Thursday it had decided to strike Soweto off its initial list of venues because of time constraints.
The announcement that the Soweto leg of the parade had been scrapped was seen as a snub in the township, where locals had already prepared banners to welcome their heroes.
Mbeki on development
At his meeting with the Springboks, Mbeki said the failure to develop sport at school level is one of the country’s biggest mistakes.
”We don’t put sufficient development in sports and we haven’t committed resources needed and this is one of our biggest mistakes,” Mbeki said at the Union Buildings, where he was handed the Webb Ellis trophy by the Springboks.
He added that development needs to be built from below, and joked that the rugby team’s win at the Rugby World Cup inspired soccer team Bafana Bafana to win against Zambia on Wednesday.
Mbeki said South Africa needs to put behind it the controversy of transformation in sports teams, and instead create conditions that will build sports.
The Union Buildings were decked with decorations during the handover ceremony. Employees were showing their support by wearing green shirts emblazoned with the words ”Rugby world champions”. Green flags were draped over the building and vuvuzelas could be heard outside the marquee.
The rugby players were treated like royalty as they walked down the red carpet to the tune of Queen’s We Are the Champions. There were loud cheers and applause when they entered one of the marquees that had been erected at the buildings. — Sapa, AFP