Veteran rugby player and ANC stalwart Sobhizana Mngqikana, who played as a flyhalf in East London in the 1950s, was finally honoured and awarded Springbok colours in Johannesburg recently.
Mngqikana is a popular figure in the Border region and was a rugby player, boxer and musician.
He came from the township of East Bank, so named because it was east of the Buffalo River. Its sister township on the other side of the river is known as West Bank.
Rugby was one of the anchors of social life in these two townships.
The West Bank had two strong clubs, the Morning Stars and the Wallabies, which attracted good crowds.
The East Bank, where “Bizo” lived, had equally strong sides like Tembu, Swallows, Winter Rose, Black Lion, Boiling Water, Storm Breakers, Busy Bees and Early Roses.
Bizo played for Tembu, among whose founders was his father Josias “Joe” Mngqikana, a prominent pianist.
His teammates at Tembu included Rhine Manuel, Hlabi Tomane and Dennis Botha. among others
Some of the big-name Border region rugby players in these teams were Justice Skunana, Frank Koka, Joe Mtyeku, Price Ncunyane, Botha, Abby Gush and Lepley Sontshi.
Rugby tournaments took place at Rubusana Park, a sports complex with three rugby fields, a soccer pitch, a netball court and two tennis courts.
These facilities enabled Bizo to excel in rugby until he completed matric at Welsh High in 1958.
He proceeded to Fort Hare, where he continued to excel as a flyhalf along with teammates such as Simo Mjo, PV Maneli, Sdondi Ceko, Stanley Bouwer, Pines Pienaar, Zolile Ngcakani, Jersey Mlandu; Reginald Sigabi and Mono Badela, who became a journalist for the Evening Post in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha).
He was selected for the African Springboks in 1959 while playing for Fort Hare.
Some other black Springboks of his era were Simo Mjo, Themba Mjo and Fikile Siyo.
They played old-time rivals of SA such as England and New Zealand.
Bizo’s skills were not limited to rugby but extended to music.
The foremost big band in the 1950s in East Bank was the Havana Swingsters.
It was with them that Bizo cut his teeth as a trumpet player in 1957.
He later formed his own group, the Jazz Rebels, with Tshawe Tshefu, Melibhun Ralala and Zola Lumko.
At this stage, he had transitioned from the trumpet to the saxophone.
Bizo left SA in 1965 to join the struggle with the ANC in exile.
The honouring of the African Springboks started in 2000 in a campaign called Yesterday’s Heroes.
Bizo could not be honoured then as he was an SA ambassador abroad.
After receiving his Springbok blazer from Saru president Mark Alexander, Bizo said he believed the sport had to start at school level to grow interest in rugby among African people.
“It is also important to build rugby infrastructure such as playing fields in the townships,” he said.
“There has to be a meaningful transformation in rugby as the sport could be used as a vehicle for social cohesion.”
Struggle veteran Mikki Xayiya, a former Robben Island prisoner and businessman, described the award as a “correction of injustice after 60 years”.
“African players were not fully recognised as Springboks at that stage, despite playing the game at the highest level.
“The full honours went to their white counterparts. That must [continue to] be rectified going forward,” Xayiya said.
DispatchLIVE
Ex-ambassador Mngqikana honoured by SA Rugby
African Springbok flyhalf from the 1950s finally gets his colours
Image: SUPPLIED
Veteran rugby player and ANC stalwart Sobhizana Mngqikana, who played as a flyhalf in East London in the 1950s, was finally honoured and awarded Springbok colours in Johannesburg recently.
Mngqikana is a popular figure in the Border region and was a rugby player, boxer and musician.
He came from the township of East Bank, so named because it was east of the Buffalo River. Its sister township on the other side of the river is known as West Bank.
Rugby was one of the anchors of social life in these two townships.
The West Bank had two strong clubs, the Morning Stars and the Wallabies, which attracted good crowds.
The East Bank, where “Bizo” lived, had equally strong sides like Tembu, Swallows, Winter Rose, Black Lion, Boiling Water, Storm Breakers, Busy Bees and Early Roses.
Bizo played for Tembu, among whose founders was his father Josias “Joe” Mngqikana, a prominent pianist.
His teammates at Tembu included Rhine Manuel, Hlabi Tomane and Dennis Botha. among others
Some of the big-name Border region rugby players in these teams were Justice Skunana, Frank Koka, Joe Mtyeku, Price Ncunyane, Botha, Abby Gush and Lepley Sontshi.
Rugby tournaments took place at Rubusana Park, a sports complex with three rugby fields, a soccer pitch, a netball court and two tennis courts.
These facilities enabled Bizo to excel in rugby until he completed matric at Welsh High in 1958.
He proceeded to Fort Hare, where he continued to excel as a flyhalf along with teammates such as Simo Mjo, PV Maneli, Sdondi Ceko, Stanley Bouwer, Pines Pienaar, Zolile Ngcakani, Jersey Mlandu; Reginald Sigabi and Mono Badela, who became a journalist for the Evening Post in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha).
He was selected for the African Springboks in 1959 while playing for Fort Hare.
Some other black Springboks of his era were Simo Mjo, Themba Mjo and Fikile Siyo.
They played old-time rivals of SA such as England and New Zealand.
Bizo’s skills were not limited to rugby but extended to music.
The foremost big band in the 1950s in East Bank was the Havana Swingsters.
It was with them that Bizo cut his teeth as a trumpet player in 1957.
He later formed his own group, the Jazz Rebels, with Tshawe Tshefu, Melibhun Ralala and Zola Lumko.
At this stage, he had transitioned from the trumpet to the saxophone.
Bizo left SA in 1965 to join the struggle with the ANC in exile.
The honouring of the African Springboks started in 2000 in a campaign called Yesterday’s Heroes.
Bizo could not be honoured then as he was an SA ambassador abroad.
After receiving his Springbok blazer from Saru president Mark Alexander, Bizo said he believed the sport had to start at school level to grow interest in rugby among African people.
“It is also important to build rugby infrastructure such as playing fields in the townships,” he said.
“There has to be a meaningful transformation in rugby as the sport could be used as a vehicle for social cohesion.”
Struggle veteran Mikki Xayiya, a former Robben Island prisoner and businessman, described the award as a “correction of injustice after 60 years”.
“African players were not fully recognised as Springboks at that stage, despite playing the game at the highest level.
“The full honours went to their white counterparts. That must [continue to] be rectified going forward,” Xayiya said.
DispatchLIVE
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