Tuesday, March 9, 2021

OUR RICH HISTORY – NON-RACIAL SPORT LOCAL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS STAND UP AGAINST APARTHEID AUTHORITIES WHO WERE BENT ON PROHIBITING MIXED SOCCER BY TRYING TO IMPOSE THE GROUP AREAS ACT

 




The promotion of non-racial soccer by the South African Soccer Federation (SASF) and its affiliates in the 1970s and 1980s was met by vicious onslaughts by the apartheid authorities. This is what I found when researching through my files about the SASF and the Federation Professional League (FPL).

For instance, some of the articles I had written in 1973 were about the battles by the soccer leaders in Tongaat, on the North Coast, to continue to play mixed soccer involving African, coloured and Indian-origin players.

The Tongaat football administrators were warned by the Tongaat Town Board not to continue mixed soccer at the Watson Park stadium until they obtained a permit from the Group Areas police.

Tongaat residents had been playing mixed soccer for decades but early in June 1973 they were warned by the Group Areas branch of the South African Police not to play mixed soccer between coloureds, Africans and Indians.


                      PADDY PADAYCHEE

One of the football administrators leading the fight against the apartheid authorities was Mr Paddy Padayachee.

He was president of the Tongaati Football League, an affiliate of the South African Soccer Fdderation (SASF).

I wrote several articles about this development in Tongaat in order to highlight the struggles of activists at local levels.


                            


The first article was published on June 11 1973 under the headline: “Football officials baffled”.

The article read:

Officials of the Tongaati Football League, an affiliate of the South African Soccer Federation (SASF), are baffled by the warning from the South African Police not to continue with “mixed” soccer between Coloureds, Indians and Africans.

Despite several warnings the Tongaati Football League officials yesterday went ahead with a “mixed” fixture between NGI Lads of Stanger, and Swallows, an all-African side from Tongaat. Eleven policemen were present.

Mr Paddy Padaychee, chairman of the league, said today that he could not understand the sudden police interest.

Mr Padaychee said he was warned by the police and the Tongaat Town Board not to play the fixture because the league did not have a permit for soccer between Coloureds, Africans and Indians.

“My committee, however, with the backing of the Federation, decided to go ahead with the match.

“It was played without any incidents and the police even applauded the players for their performance.

“We have been playing mixed soccer in this town for years and racial harmony has at no time been impaired.

“It would be wrong on our own part if we suddenly deprived people of the chance of playing with us.”

The Tongaat Football Association was told two years ago to apply for permission to play “mixed” soccer.

However, the association, on instructions from its parent body, the SASF, did not apply for any permits and continued with its fixtures.

Mr Norman Middleton, president of the SASF, said today that he had attended the match yesterday to see if the police would make any arrests.

“The police watched the whole match and they did not do a thing. I don’t know what the fuss was all about,” he said. End – Daily News Reporter June 11 1973


           “MIXED” SOCCER: TOP MEN QUIT


While Mr Paddy Padaychee and other activists in Tongaat were trying to counter the reactionary actions of the former Pretoria regime and its police force, at least three football officials of Tongaat resigned their positions for fear of victimisation.

The three officials were senior educationists in the Department of Education and one bank employee.

I wrote this story on June 15 1973 and it was published under the headline: “`Mixed` soccer: Top men quit”.




The story read:

Three senior football administrators involved in the “mixed” soccer controversy at Tongaat have resigned from their official positions in the Tongaat Football Association and the Tongaati Football League.

Mr R Bhagrathi, principal of the Verulam High Indian School, and Mr K Murugan, a teacher at the Saraswathi State-Aided Indian School at Frasers, on the North Coast, resigned as president and secretary of the Tongaat Football Association and Mr Cass Naidoo, a clerk at the Tongaat branch of Barclays Bank, resigned from the Tongaati League as treasurer.

The two bodies are involved in the “mixed” soccer between Coloureds, Indians and Africans at Tongaat, which is being investigated by the Group Areas branch of the South African Police.

The police warned Mr Paddy Padaychee, president of the Tongaati League, that the fixture between NGI Lads of Eshowe and Swallows, an all-African side of Tongaat, should not be played because the league did not have a permit for “mixed” soccer between Coloureds, Indians and Africans.

But, inspite of several warnings, the officials of the league went ahead with the match last Sunday with the backing of the non-racial South African Soccer Fdderation.

When approached yesterday Mr Bhagrathi said he had resigned due to pressure of work.

He was elected president of the Tongaat FA early this year.

In a letter to the Tongaati League, Mr Cass Naidoo said his resignation was “circumstantial”.

Detective Sergeant Roger Beighton and Detective Sergeant Ralph Panyanof the Group Areas Branch of the SAP, yesterday asked Mr Padaychee for the names and addresses of the Swallows and the NGI football teams.

“I willingly gave them the officials’ addresses and names but then they later asked me for the team list,” said Mr Padaychee.

“I asked them for a formal letter which they produced and said they would be calling on Monday at 11am.

“We have nothing to hide and I am sure that their request will be granted,” he said.

Detective Sergeant Beighton said yesterday: “The prosecutor will decide whether or not any charges will be laid.” Ends – June 15 1973 Daily News Reporter

 

                      “NO” TO PERMIT PLAN  

 

Despite the police interference in ordinary citizens  trying to promote human understanding and peaceful co-existence, anti-apartheid activists in Tongaat refused to bow to the dictates of the former apartheid authorities.

I followed up the developments in Tongaat with an article about activists refusing to apply for permits to play “mixed” football.

The article was published under the headline: “ ‘No’ to permit plan” on June 25 1973.


           



The article read:

Tongaat soccer officials do not intend applying for permits to continue their mixed games at Tongaat’s Watson Park municipal stadium and will instead use grounds in Verulam and Stanger.

Following police investigation into “mixed” soccer matches, the Tongaat Town Board has told the Tongaat Football Association and the Tongaati Football League that they may not use the municipal grounds until permits for “mixed” games are obtained.

But Mr Paddy Padaychee, president of the Tongaati Football League, said today:

“We will never apply for permits.”

Mr Padaychee said he would ask the Tongaat Football Association at a special general meeting tomorrow to take a similar stand.

                       DENIED

Colonel J M H van der Merwe, district criminal investigation officer, today denied that the police forced the Tongaat Town Board to withdraw the use of grounds from the associations.

“We did not pressurise anybody. The matter is only being investigated for the information of the Attorney General. It will be left to the Attorney General to take action,” he said.

“We don’t interfere in this sort of affair. They are only using words.”

Mr W A Wild, deputy town clerk of the Tongaat Town Board, said: “We were told that we were contravening a law by allowing multi-racial football.”

                           GRANTED

He said the football association would be allowed the use of the grounds again if a permit was granted for mixed soccer between Coloureds, Indians and Africans.

“Multi-racial soccer was played in this town for 20 years and we had no incidents whatsoever. But when the police told us that we were contravening the law we had to take steps to put a stop to it,” he said.

“If the associations use the grounds without permits then they will be breaking the law. As a municipality we do not want such a thing.”

Two years ago the Tongaat Football Association was asked to apply for permits to play “mixed” soccer but refused to do so on instructions from its parent body, the South African Soccer Fdederation.

“The matter just fizzled out then but I don’t know who is behind the latest police investigations,” said Mr Wild.

“Obviously there must be some local element responsible,” said Mr Wild.

Mr Norman Middleton, president of SASF, and his full executive will attend tomorrow’s meeting at the Watson Park stadium at 6:30pm. Ends – Daily News Reporter June 25 1973




 

               SOCCER BAN IGNORED

The local Tongaat anti-apartheid sports officials adopted a militant stance and resolved not to apply for a permit to continue to play mixed soccer.




I attended the meeting of the Tongaat Football     Association at the Watson Park stadium and wrote an article on June 27 1973 under the headline: “Soccer ban ignored”.

The sub-editors also inserted a sub-headline that read: “Tongaat mixed games to go on”.

The story read:

Tongaat Football Association intends to continue playing multi-racial matches at the municipal Watson Park ground, in spite of a ban on mixed soccer by the Tongaat Town Board.

At an urgent meeting in Tongaat last night the association council members unanimously decided to play on.

In a letter to the association, the deputy town clerk, Mr W A Wild, said the town board was authorised by higher authorities to withdraw the ground because mixed soccer was being played in an “Indian” group area.

If the association continued with its mixed fixtures it would be breaking the law and would be prosecuted.

But last night the association decided it would face prosecution if it broke any law.

Mr Pravin Sham, acting chairman of the meeting, said the association would continue to play non-racial football according to the rules of the parent body, the South African Soccer Federation.

                     

                         POLITICS

 

“Our town board is the only multi-racial municipality in the country, but now they are asking us to play racial football.

“We are here to play soccer and not politics. Politics should be left to the politicians and we should be allowed to play with whom we like and where we like.”

 

                            SOOBOO RAJAH

 

Mr Sooboo Rajah, president of the Southern Natal Soccer Board, said his board supported the Tongaat Football Association.

He urged the association to keep within the law, “but if you are prosecuted for playing football with your friends then we are prepared to assist you to an amount of R500.”

                                GOOD LUCK

 

“Everyday in our life we are being ostracised, but I urge you to carry on with your good work of creating harmonious race relations between the different race groups.

“I don’t see why the only avenue we have to foster good friendship should now be affected.”




 

                              NORMAN MIDDLETON

Mr Norman Middleton, president of the SASF, said it was strange that after 20 years the authorities realised the association was breaking the law.

                                 

                                    CRICKET

 

“I don’t want you to fall foul of the law but all I want you to do is to play soccer as you have always done,” he told the association.

“If the leading Nationalist newspaper wants the non-racial cricket club in Pietermaritzburg to function, then I cannot see why mixed soccer 150km away should be stopped.

“Everywhere the trend today is to play mixed sport and the attitudes of the people are changing. I think your ban is nothing more than a threat.”

 

                              INFORMERS

 

Mr Middleton lashed out at people who caused the trouble.

“I want to warn those people who have become informers that your days are numbered,” he said.

“One of these days you are going to answer to the very people whom you are informing on.”

Last night, Mr Robert Pillay and Mr Noor Arbee were elected chairman and secretary of the Tongaat Football Association to fill the vacancies caused by the resignation of Mr R Bhagrathi and Mr K Murugan.

Mr Wild said today he was not aware of the association’s decision.

“We have not been informed officially but we will discuss the matter fully at our next board meeting on Tuesday,” he said. Ends – Daily News Reporter June 27 1973


                          


 

          TONGAAT TO SEEK SPORTS PERMITS

 

The “mixed” soccer controversy continued to plague Tongaat when the local all-white municipality disclosed to this correspondent that it would apply for a permit for football to be played at its municipal grounds.

I wrote the story after the decision of the Tongaat Football Association to continue with its mixed soccer and would not apply for any permit. The story was published under the headline: “Tongaat to seek sport permits” on June 28 1973.

The Tongaat Town Board had embarked on a programme to consider to apply for the permits itself after the Tongaat Football Association and the Tongaati Football League refused to bow to pressures from the town board to apply for the permits.

The Group Areas branch of the police had warned that the town board was breaking the law for allowing mixed soccer between Coloureds, Africans and Indians at the Watson Park stadium.

After the initial introductory paragraphs, the story read:

Mr J J Haarte, vice-chairman of the Town Board, said today the board was now seriously considering applying for a permit because it wanted the community to continue with the multiracial games.

“We want the community to carry on with what it has been doing for the past 20 years.

“We are not against multi-racial footall. In fact we have been encouraging play among all race groups because of the good race relations sport creates>’

Mr Haarte said soccer and cricket had been played regularly between Indian, Coloured and African sportsmen at Watson Park stadium for more than 20 years.

He said the Town Board allowed the association the use of the ground free of charge.

“We do everything in our power to maintain the ground in very good condition and our ground is one of the best fields on the North Coast,” he said.

“Because it is essential for us to abide by the laws of the land we will consider applying for a permit.” Ends – Daily News Reporter June 28 1973

 

 

                   MIXED SOCCER NOT STOPPED




 

Despite the attitude of the Tongaat Town Board and the police, the Tongaat Football Association and the Tongaati Football League continued with their mixed soccer games without any interference by the apartheid regime.

I wrote this story after the associations continued with their mixed football at the Watson Park stadium. The story was published on July 2 1973 under the headline: “Mixed soccer not stopped”.

The article after the initial introductory paragraphs read:

Mr Paddy Padaychee, president of the Tongaati Football League, said yesterday that his association was not defying anybody but “but just carrying on as usual”.

“If whites were playing with us then I would say that we were contravening the law. But we are only playing with non-whites,” said Mr Padaychee.

He said he was very happy that the police had not tried to stop the matches.

                    

                    NOT INTERESTED

 

“I told the police that I am not interested in politics. For that matter, I don’t know what is politics. All I am interested in is soccer.”

 

                          NON-RACIAL

Mr Sooboo Rajah, president of the Southern Natal Soccer Board, who was at the Tongaat ground yesterday said that Tongaat had set a lead in the fight for non-racial football.

“If we are not going to put up a fight now then we will be sorry,” he said.

Mr Rajah said that good race relations between the various groups in the sports field was “an urgent necessity because we are deprived of communication in other aspects of our lives”.

Colonel J M H van der Merwe, district criminal investigation officer, said today that the police would carry out investigation if any law was contravened.

“We are not concerned if whites are involved or not. The point is if any offence is committed we have to do our duty.” Ends – Daily News Reporter July 2 1973






 

                   NO INTEREST IN SOCCER PERMIT

 

I followed up the developments in Tongaat by contacting local officials and inquiring whether they supported the latest moves by the Tongaat Town Board to apply for a permit for mixed sport.

The story was published under the headline: “No interest in soccer permit” on July 5 1973.

The story read:

The president of the Tongaati Football League says the Tongaat Town Board’s decision to apply for a multi-racial sports permit is “their own business”.

Mr Paddy Padaychee, whose association decided unanimously last week not to seek permission for multi-racial soccer, said yesterday:

“We have got nothing to do with the Tongaat Town Board. As far as we are concerned we are carrying on as usual.”

He said his association would not flout the principles of its parent body, the South African Soccer Federation, and apply for permits “to play multi-racial football”.

Mr J J Haarte, vice-chairman of the Tongaat Town Board, said yesterday it was a unanimous decision of the Board to apply to the respective authorities for a multi-racial sports permit.

He said the Board had a responsibility to the people for the provision of recreation.

“There are very good reasons why the league should continue. Sport has created good relations over the years and we are going to see that all kinds of sport is played in Tongaat.”

He said Tongaat was a model township for all race groups.

“It has been working well and we want to keep it that way.”

The unusual step by the Tongaat Town Board was taken after the police informed the board that it was breaking the law by allowing multi-racial soccer at the municipal Watson Park ground.

The Board advised the Tongaat Football Association and the Tongaati Football League to apply for permits but the associations ignored the Board’s advice and decided not to apply for the permits. Ends – Daily News Reporter July 5 1973




 

           STANGER CRICKET OFFICIAL QUESTIONED

 

                                AROON MAHOMEDY

While the apartheid police agencies failed to intimidate the Tongaat anti-apartheid sports leaders, they moved their dirty work to the town of Stanger further down the North Coast.

I spoke to some of the soccer and cricket officials and wrote a story that was published on July 5 1973 under the headline: “Stanger cricket official questioned” and sub-headline: “Police probe mixed sport”.

The story read:

The Group Areas branch of the South African Police yesterday extended their investigations into mixed sport between Coloureds, Indians and Africans to the North Coast town of Stanger.

Detective Sergeant Roger Beighton and Detective Sergeant Ralph Panyan informed Mr Aroon Mahomedy, secretary of the Stanger and District Cricket Association, that the association should obtain a permit for mixed cricket.

The police advised Mr Mahomedy that since Stanger was an Indian area, the association would be contravening the law if they played non-Indians without a permit.

“They told me that if we don’t get the permit then we would be prosecuted for breaking the law,” he said.

“They wanted us to co-operate and not to make things difficult. They wanted to know what was the opinion of my association but I was not prepared to commit the association.”

The police then wanted to know Mr Mahomedy’s opinion.

“I told them that I was brought up in a society where were taught to live and play together, and nothing is going to alter my way of life.”

Mr Mahomedy said he would refer the matter to his association who would then refer it to the Natal Cricket Board of Control.


                     PAUL DAVID



Mr Paul David, president of the Lower Tugela Soccer Federation, said today that the police had not interviewed him.

“As far as we are concerned, we are carrying out the directions from our parent body, the South African Soccer Federation, to play football among our members,” he said.

“No amount of intimidation is going to change our method of football.”

Mr Pat Naidoo, president of the Natal Cricket Board of Control, said today his board was a non-racial body and they would play cricket among all members. Ends – Daily News Reporter July 5 1973

 

 

             NON-RACIAL SOOCER WILL GO ON




 

In August 1973 I followed up the “mixed” soccer row in Tongaat after it was disclosed that the apartheid authorities had given a permit for only Coloureds to continue play in the town. African soccer players were prohibited.

I wrote a story after the Tongaat soccer officials told me that they would not discriminate against anyone and would continue to play mixed soccer as they had been doing for years.

The story was published on August 18 1973 under the headline: “Non-racial soccer will go on.”

The story read:

The Tongaati Football League is to defy the Group Areas Act and continue playing mixed soccer between Coloured, African and Indian players.

Mr Paddy Padaychee, president of the Tongaati Football League, said today that his association would stand by the decision taken in June to continue with mixed soccer at Tongaat in spite of the ruling that only Coloured players are allowed to play there.

He said that the Tongaat Town Board had applied for permits for Coloured and African players but a permit was only granted for Coloured players to play there until December.

“We are not concerned with what permit the Tongaat Town Board has got. As far as we are concerned, we are going ahead with mixed matches. Our stand is to follow the constitution of the non-racial South African Soccer Federation and we are not going to deviate one bit.” Ends – Daily News Reporter August 18 1973

 


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