Posted in Features, News on Jun 16, 2018.
June 16 is remembered in South Africa owing to the 1976 Soweto Uprising. “That’s a crucial moment in time and it should therefore never be forgotten. I urge youngsters to learn more about this historic day, so they will understand what happened and why,” explains the Chairman. “It is upon the new generation to emulate the youth of 1976 to strife for excellence.”
For the Chairman, Soweto is his native home and through his pioneering role in forming Kaizer Chiefs, he embodies hope to today’s young generation.
“At Chiefs, youth are our focal point,” says the Chairman. “For example, the journey to develop our youth academy is on-going. We have already seen the fruits with players coming through and gaining promotion to the first team. Also, we have started recording milestones with our youth teams, like the Reserve Team winning the inaugural MultiChoice Diski Shield.”
The youth draw their inspiration from the iconic and storytelling Kaizer Chiefs brand. “We bring most of the players at a young age and develop into superstars,” continues the Chairman, referring to the generations of players that have donned the Gold and Black jersey over the past 48 years since the foundation of Amakhosi on 7 January 1970.
“Most recently, Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Tshabalala are illustrious examples of excellence. However, we have come a long way and we will continue in this journey of creating and enabling an environment for talent to mushroom at Chiefs Village.”
The Kaizer Chiefs players are currently enjoying their off-season. “Yes, the players are still on a break,” the Chairman confirms, “even though responsibility doesn’t go on off-season. The players know very well that they must at all times continue to influence their communities positively.”