Football can bring positive social change, promote unity: South Africa's Mokgoro

He was addressing the Maize Cup Gala Dinner on the weekend, which marked the beginning of the fourth edition of the annual Maize Cup tournament taking place at James Motlatsi Stadium in Matlosana.

Football has the ability to impact society in a positive and profound way, says North West Premier Professor Job Mokgoro.

“We have the responsibility to harness the power and appeal of the game to act as a catalyst for positive social change. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that the universal popularity and appeal of football makes it a common denominator for everyone -- irrespective of gender, age, race and social standing,” said Mokgoro.  

He was addressing the Maize Cup Gala Dinner on the weekend, which marked the beginning of the fourth edition of the annual Maize Cup tournament taking place at James Motlatsi Stadium in Matlosana.

The dinner was attended by the provincial government leadership, soccer legends, as well as representatives of different soccer teams taking part such as Kaizer Chiefs, Buya Msuthu, Free State Stars and Chippa United.

Mokgoro said the provincial government remains committed to uniting the province to ensure that the ugly scenes witnessed recently in various towns, townships and villages of this province are never seen again.  

“The Bokone Bophirima Maize Cup is one vehicle that we can use as government to reach out to the citizens of our beautiful province as a means to reduce and eventually remove the trust deficit currently evident between the people and government. Through football, we can build social cohesion in the province,” said Mokgoro.

The pre-season tournament has managed to attract professional soccer teams with a massive following in the country, making it easier for government to communicate with the people using this platform.