Zola Ntlokoma fighting for economic transformation in SA rugby

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                       Photo: Supplied

A product of the Soweto Rugby Club, Zola Ntlokoma, a deeply rooted individual who has rugby ingrained in him, a  passionate character who is a often misunderstood in the society of rugby; is now more than ever determined to push for economical transformation in rugby.


Rugby has given the Soweto born lad an outlook on life, a purpose, something to live for. This has come at a huge price though, demanding a lot from him mentally, emotionally and physically. His journey in the adored game has been nothing short a rollercoaster ride, as it has had its ups and downs, taking him from an exciting young prospect to a rugby administrator for his boyhood club.


"I joined the Soweto Rugby Club in 1995 with many others. I was a young boy, at the time, still in high school basically. Fast forward to the later years when some of us, from my generation, started retiring in batches, most in 2004 and 2005; I retired in 2008. When I retired, I took a different path from my peers. They either went into coaching and some to refereeing, I went straight to the administration of the game. I am one of those who completely branched out to the side of administration, its very few former players who go on to be administrators, provincially and nationally," said Ntlokoma.


The road Ntlokoma took meant, he had to add his voice and intellect in the fight and push for transformation in South Africa. The good fight he was fighting, came at a cost. For him personally and the Soweto Rugby Club as not many are in favour of transformation.


"A series of events happened. It happened that the Soweto Rugby Club became a target of the unions, the ones in this region. The attack came about because we were open and more radical [to] this transformation and development thing. So they would say I'm a politician so they can shutdown or water down from the real issues were talking about. They would associate me with the club, maybe because I am the face or the advocate of saying rugby needs to change and rugby is doing nothing about transformation, then we became targets. I am not the club, and the club is above me, the game is above me.”


“So in 2013, I resigned from [the] Soweto Rugby Club, there was a bigger calling to say let us form Soweto Rugby Union. And then hopefully the attack on the club it goes down, then they can face us on this new entity. But in 2015, the people left at the club merged with Jabulani High School and formed Soweto Rugby Eagles. I do not know what informed that decision, whether good or bad,” said Ntlokoma.


With the Soweto Rugby Union established, the struggle for transformation would gain more traction as the union represented clubs in the biggest township in the land. Many could not separate the newly formed union to the Soweto Rugby Club, that affected the club in many ways.


"Sowto Rugby Union is a concept that was developed in September 2013 at the Jabulani Civic Center, where there was a Soweto Sports Indaba, so the union does not come from Soweto Rugby Club, but it was a call from sporting bodies. So Soweto Rugby Club and others had to abide [with the] resolutions. At the end I became a target, Soweto Rugby Club became a target. And [those] who created this cult, they were unions, the Lions and the Blue Bulls, as a way of propaganda, to kill this thing before it gains momentum. What is this thing about? It’s about opportunities, resources, equality, societal issues, economical issues; you can go on and mention a lot more things," said Ntlokoma.


Economic transformation is something Ntlokoma is banging on about. Representation of black players on the field does seem easy on the eye, but the economic sector of rugby is still exclusive to white people providing little to nothing in terms of including black people.


"Whether you like it or not, rugby as a sport within the sports industry in this country, does contribute economically. Then within that percentage that benefits from those types of economic, that take place in rugby, it is less than a percent of black people that are benefiting in the economy.”


“If you look at it in terms of contracts and endorsements. It's only Bryan Habana and Siya Kholisi who are properly sorted, financially, out of all this. You can then group them, they do not even make 1% of blacks in rugby. Whereas you have in Nelson Mandela Bay and East London, where there are a lot of clubs and players, and then you tell me we can not make a percentage in terms of benefiting economically. Then they say people like myself should shut up,” said Ntlokoma.


We have seen, recently, players who were once contracted, some even dawn the Springboks jersey, left for dead and broke. While there are white players who were not even as talented, set for life. The economic inequality prevalent in rugby means employment for black people in the sport is non existent and Ntlokoma believes it is one that we should tap into as a country. Not only looking at rugby, but at all sporting codes as they can contribute significantly towards the countries GDP.


"Black rugby players in this country, might not to hear this, but they are brainwashed to think that living from hand to mouth is it. But if you look at young white boys, they are sorted; they have got farms and stuff, how many black players can say they own farms. There was a boy who was playing for the Blue Bulls, I forgot his name, but he retired at the age of 26 and went to farming. He has got his own farm, not his father’s or grandfather’s, he bought his own.”


“We need to decolonise our minds as black in this sport, and not only look at, ‘I want to play for the Blue Bulls,’ ‘I want to play for the Springboks’ and think it starts and ends there. You need to know that there is an industry that needs to be opened for generations to come, that is what we are fighting for,” said Ntlokoma.


Non nobis sed posteris, not for us but those who are to come. Despite the never ending ups and downs, the attacks, have not deterred Ntlokoma from his mission and vision of seeing economic transformation instead they have broadened it, as he is working on a book.


"I might have changed tactics and strategies. I have chosen to shy away from social media and the press, because there is something I am cooking that might reach a larger audience. I am writing a book, my book, so the ideas are going to be there. The book will tell what I think needs to happen. And those who want to listen will listen, those who want to take lessons out of if will take lessons," concluded Ntlokoma.


The Secretary of the Soweto Rugby Union, acknowledges he was part of the problem that to the downfall of his beloved Soweto Rugby Club but is in the process of re-establishing the Soweto Rugby Club, as he says it has a lot of history. Ntlokoma, a Dreamer. Ntlokoma, a Visionary. Ntlokoma, a man determined to be a catalyst for the transformation he aims to see come into fruition.