Umuzwa wokuzigqaja, injabulo ubuvunguza e-Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre e-Union Buildings ngoLwesihlanu lomhlaka 30 Januwari, ngesikhathi uMengameli Cyril Ramaphosa emukela ngokusemthethweni iNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA (Original Trophy) eNingizimu Afrika, okube umzuzu wokuqopheka komlando emhlabeni kwezebhola likanobhutshuzwayo wezwe.
Izihambeli ebezimenyiwe bezibuthene obekukhona phakathi kwazo, izingqalabutho zebhola, abaholi bakahulumeni kanye namalungu eqembu lesizwe iBafana Bafana elizoya eNdebeni yoMhlaba bezozibonela umklomelo oyigugu kakhulu emhlabeni webhola wethulwa ngesikhathi sohambo lweNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA oluxhaswe yiCoca-Cola.
Isimo besigcwele injabulo ngesikhathi indebe — engavamile ukubonwa futhi engavamile kakhulu ukuthintwa — ivezwa futhi inikezwa uMengameli uRamaphosa, ongomunye wabantu abambalwa emhlabeni abanegunya lokuyiphatha ngezandla le Ndebe yoqobo.
“Kuyinjabulo enkulu ukuba lapha e-Union Buildings. Ngijabule kakhulu ukuthi silethe indebe lapha e-Union Buildings… Siyiveze futhi sayithinta. Kuzwakala kahle kakhulu, uma uyithinta,” kusho uMengameli, oyamukele ngezandla ezishisayo phambi kwezethameli.
Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi INdebe yoMhlaba yoqobo ye-FIFA World Cup yileyo enikezwa iqembu eliwina umqhudelwano ekupheleni kwawo, ngaphambi kokuba ibuyiselwe eMnyuziyamu yeFIFA eZurich. Ngaphandle kwesikhathi somqhudelwano uqobo, ukuphela kwesikhathi lapho indebe iphunyuka khona eSwitzerland kuba ngesikhathi sohambo lweNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA oluxhaswe yiCoca-Cola — okuwumlingani oyedwa weFIFA ogunyaziwe ukuhambisa le Ndebe yoqobo emhlabeni wonke.
ENingizimu Afrika, ukufika kwale ndebe bekusho okungaphezu kombukiso nje.
Ngemuva kokuzibandakanya okokuqala kwiNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA ngo-1998 nokusingatha umqhudelwano womlando ka-2010, iNingizimu Afrika isiphinde yazibandakanya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026, yaphetha isikhawu seminyaka engu-16 ingekho kulo mkhakha womhlaba.
Lo mzuzu umele hhayi ukubuyela kuphela, kodwa ukuvuselelwa kabusha, ubuyisela amathemba, ukuzigqaja nezifiso zesizwe enkundleni yamazwe ngamazwe ebholeni.
“Sizoyibolekisa, kodwa izobuya. Sizoyivumela ihambe isikhashana, bese ngemuva kweNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA abafana bayoyibuyisa, futhi sizoba nayo lapha e-Union Buildings futhi,” kusho uMengameli uRamaphosa.
Ekhuluma neqembu leBafana Bafana, uMengameli unikeze amazwi okukhuthaza nokwesekwa kwesizwe njengoba belungiselela ukuyoncintisana e-United States, eMexico naseCanada.
“Ngifuna ukunishayela ihlombe futhi ngininxuse ukuthi nihambe kahle kulolu hambo lokuya empini e-United States, eMexico naseCanada, futhi sinokuzethemba okuphelele ukuthi nizoyibuyisa indebe. Umphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika — isizwe sonke — sinifisela okuhle, futhi lo ngumzuzu lapho kufanele nizizwe ninokwesekwa okuphelele ngabantu baseNingizimu Afrika.
Lo mcimbi uphinde wagcizelela indima ebalulekile ye-Union Buildings njengophawu lwenhliziyo yentando yeningi nobuholi baseNingizimu Afrika.
Lo mcimbi ubuhlanganisa nezikhathi ezibalulekile zezithombe noMngameli, ingqalabutho eyake yawina iNdebe yoMhlaba uMarcel Desailly, izihlabani zebhola laseNingizimu Afrika uSiphiwe Tshabalala, amalungu eqembu leBafana Bafana elizoya eNdebeni yoMhlaba, abaholi bakahulumeni kanye nezikhulu zeCoca-Cola, kuqoshwa ukuhlangana okuyivelakancane kwezemidlalo, uHulumeni nomlando.
Uhambo lweNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA oluxhaswe yiCoca-Cola eNingizimu Afrika lungaphezu kohambo: luwukubuya ekhaya kweNingizimu Afrika, luphawula ukuqala ngokomfanekiso ukubuyela kwezwe enkundleni enkulu yezemidlalo emhlabeni.
Njengoba indebe ibuyiselwa ngokucophelela esikhwameni sayo futhi umcimbi usuphela, umyalezo owodwa ube sobala — indaba yebhola laseNingizimu Afrika isiqala ukubhalwa futhi, uhambo oluya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba yeFIFA ka-2026 seluqalile ngokusemthethweni. – SAnews.gov.za
