“Good afternoon, molweni, aweh ma se kind.” – Siya Kolisi hits the right note saying hello to Cape Town.
TELFORD VICE in Cape Town
NOTHING can be the same after Desmond Tutu has danced to Leon Schuster’s Hie Kommmie Bokke on the steps of Cape Town City Hall.
And there the best advertisement for religion was on Monday, all 88 years and not many centimetres of him, busting his moves as the statue of Nelson Mandela looked on not knowing quite what to make to it all.
“Hie kommie Bokke …
“Hie kommie Bokke …
“Hoes!
“Bring vir ons die Wêreld Beker!”
Happily, the multitude crammed into the Grand Parade across Darling Street knew what to do: they cheered the Arch to high heaven.
He had made a dignified exit by the time Early B took the stage to deliver Back die Bokke, and a good thing too.
“Ek is agter in die yard …
“By my bra se spot …
“Nuh!
“Ons geniet ons met ’n tjop and dop …
“Whuh!
“Dinge gaan net af …
“Vrouens kyk na die toddlers …
“En ons almal wag vir die game van die …
“Bokke!”
The rapper, who looks like he spends at least as much time in the gym as Tendai Mtawarira, strutted his stuff with the Springboks themselves lined up behind him.
Clearly, they had heard it all before enough times to have learnt the lyrics.
Then it was Siya Kolisi’s turn to address the masses.
“Good afternoon, molweni, aweh ma se kind.”
Even the ears on Mandela’s statue would have heard the roar that earned.
“It’s been a tough journey — we’ve been together for 20 weeks — but I think this week has been the most amazing one; coming back and celebrating with you guys.
“Your message has really been amazing.”
Of course, he had a message in return.
“Look how we’re all different — different races, different backgrounds. But we came together for South Africa.
“Just take a look around you. Look how you are making it special for us.
“It’s time for us South Africans to stop fighting, stop arguing and move forward as a country.”
This being the last leg of a celebration that has taken the all singing, all dancing Boks to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in the cause of marking their 32-12 triumph over England in the men’s World Cup final in Yokohama on November 2, Kolisi has had plenty of opportunity to practise his prose.
Not that it showed. There was no questioning his sincerity. The man believes his mantra, perhaps because he is his own best example of the magic conjured when it is lived.
Asked earlier at a press conference what the players could do to bottle the joy of the moment and move South Africa’s society forward, Cheslin Kolbe seemed as stunned as if a pass to him had been intercepted.
“Jis; I’m not in the government or anything,” Kolbe said. “I’m just on the field and living my dream.”
But he recovered well enough, and was soon bolting for the tryline.
“Whatever we can do as players we will do to try and put smiles on kids’ and adults’ faces.
“It’s the inches, the little pieces, like that that can really make a big difference in someone’s life.
“And I’m sure that the rest of South Africa, from the president down, they will lay the foundation going forward.
“We have a lot of hope in South Africa, and I’m sure we can get stronger together. That’s what we believe.
“I’m positive for South Africa — I know we will stand together.”
As the Arch might have said, amen to that.
First published by TMG Digital.
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