The Athlone Stadium in Cape Town became a canvas of solidarity, adorned with Palestinian flags and banners, echoing chants of ‘Free free Palestine’ when their national football team took on a Western Cape XI. FEROZ SHAIK reports.
THE Palestinian national team has reached our shores and has already played its first game, losing by a goal to nil to a SAFA Western Cape XI at the Athlone stadium on Sunday, February 11 in front of crowd of just over 17 000.
The back-drop to the football match, under the banner of Football 4 Humanity, was a stadium festooned with Palestinian flags and solidarity banners while people wearing the Palestinian colours chanted ‘Free free Palestine. Also dotting the stands was the yellow, green and black of the ANC, while supporters of the recently-launched political party, Rise Mzansi, were visible with their t-shirts bearing the message, ‘2024 is our 1994’. Conspicuous by their absence were the colours of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the ruling party in the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The guest list included the who’s who of South African politics with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, in attendance with many other high profile dignitaries.
Also present was the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis. While the City waived rental costs for the stadium and was one of the sponsors for the event the mayor was roundly booed when he was introduced to the crowd. This was a clear expression of anger at the DA’s pro-Israel stance and he was made to feel very uncomfortable.
The mayor may have also drawn the ire of the crowd because of the DA’s recent stance against the painting of the Palestinian flag on buildings in the city.
With the final match taking place on Sunday February 18, the call is to pack the stadium to show support and solidarity with the people of Palestine and our country’s principled position.
Tickets cost R120 (grandstand), R80 (adults) and R50 (children & pensioners) and are available from Astron Energy, Caltex, Spar and Ticket Pro.
Sunday’s match against the SA Invitational XI will start at 5:00pm and the gates open at 12 noon.
