Sport means different things to different people but for many it is a celebration of the human spirit

Sport means different things to different people but for many it is a celebration of the human spirit.

The Netball World Cup currently taking place in Cape Town is a case in point. The City can be proud of its ability to host an international showcase of this stature which provides a boost to both morale and the local economy.

The only downside to this year’s event is how it provides an indictment of our current energy crisis. Discussions between event organisers and City officials garnered a load shedding reprieve, thereby providing a crucial guarantee that matches at the CTICC could proceed without fear of interruption. Speaking in Cape Town ahead of the event Netball SA chief executive Blanche de la Guerre confirmed the event would not be affected by the energy crisis: “We want international players to experience (the best of) our beautiful country,” she was quoted as saying.

As much as we can welcome efforts to promote the visitor experience, the load shedding exemption is a reminder that ordinary South Africans are denied ‘the best of’ our beautiful country due to poor policy decisions of yesteryear.  If only the sense of urgency afforded the Netball World Cup could be extended to society as a whole.

Sport is indeed an expression of our human nature, but let it not be a distraction from the task of allowing everybody to soar to new heights – not just the select few.

John Lawson
CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry