Football v Violence
Khayelitsha may just be a stone’s throw from Table Mountain - one of the top three most visited tourist spots in South Africa - but you won’t find many visitors in this township. It’s high crime rates make it an unwise place to venture unless accompanied by those with local knowledge. In 2018 there were 192 murders investigated, 186 sexual offences and 1,294 cases of robbery in a population of just over half a million.
Goal50 recently hosted a football tournament in the township, taking the opportunity to not only share in the ‘beautiful game’, but also seized the moment to give all players a meal of soup and bread. This is part of a larger Goal50 project called Mother Soup, feeding families that have struggled to find sustenance during the global pandemic. Goal50 has a growing reputation for distributing food where the need is greatest and quickly seized on the opportunity to provide nourishment at this event.
Football is a welcome distraction from violence and crime
Against a backdrop of gangs, drugs and violence, these festivals of football are a way of building relationships and in so doing, building community. It’s not simply delivering up handouts, it’s about seeking how to do life differently in a spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and respect for others. You’ll spot in the video how several teams have been generously sponsored for football kit. Unfortunately, many continue to play without any footwear or they borrow kit from our ‘boot bank’. Borrowed boots have to be returned after the tournament as, sadly, there is every chance that they will be stolen and sold for cash.
No question, this event brought township people together, breaking down social barriers that a gang culture creates.
