Cape Town - The City of Cape Town will be offering the Athlone Stadium free of charge to host the upcoming exhibition matches between the Palestine national football team and SA invitational XI.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said yesterday that the City’s support for the SA Football Association’s (Safa) Football 4 Humanity event would include a waiver of rental hire costs for the two matches at the stadium, scheduled for February 11 and 18.
The City will also provide R400 000 in event support services, including traffic, waste management and related services.
The DA-run City has come under fire in recent months for its position on the Palestine-Israel conflict, following several incidents where authorities clashed with local residents who painted the Palestinian flag on private and public walls in protest at the genocide in Gaza.
Now, following South African government’s historic victory in its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice on Friday, the City says it is “proud” to welcome the Palestine team and support the sporting event.
“Cape Town looks forward to welcoming the Palestinian national football team to our city. We are glad and proud to support this event. We hope that Capetonians will come out to enjoy these matches, and show support for peace and justice in Palestine.
“This is an important symbolic way of supporting the two-state solution and the full recognition of Palestinian statehood,” said Hill-Lewis.
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, added: “Sports have played an important role in our democratic journey, and I’m proud that the City of Cape Town is partnering with Safa to host the Palestinian national football team ... we are looking forward to two great days at Athlone Stadium.”
The Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies executive director Daniel Bloch echoed Smith’s sentiments: “The City of Cape Town has recognised the power of sport, while the mayor has echoed the sentiments of the Cape SAJBD in calling for and believing in a two-state solution.
“We further call for an end to the bloodshed, an end to the loss of life on both sides, and the release of the hostages held by Hamas, which the International Court of Justice has unequivocally called for.
“The Football 4 Humanity (event) has, however, missed a valuable opportunity to host both the Palestinian and Israeli football teams; this would send a powerful message that both sides are committed to peace. We hope that this football match is not used as a platform to spread hate and incite violence but rather to call for peace.”
ANC MPL Muhammad Khalid Sayed said the event was not just a celebration of sport but also a significant act of solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“The ANC views this initiative as an integral part of the broader global movement advocating for the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people,” said Sayed.
Professor Usuf Chikte, Western Cape Co-ordinator for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in South Africa, said the City had “grudgingly” accepted to host the matches.
“Even the pro-apartheid City of Cape Town – no friend of the Palestinians — has now grudgingly accepted this and is trying to make political capital out of it.
“The City stands opposed to the citizens of Cape Town on Palestine and in our support for the Palestinians in their resistance to apartheid, fuelled by Zionism.
“The Palestine Solidarity Campaign South Africa (PSC-SA), as part of Football 4 Humanity (F4H), applauds the citizens of Cape Town who have forced the City to act in accordance with its local government mandate: to represent all of Cape Town.”
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.za