City celebrates Youth Day with Langa Centenary Sports Festival

29 June 2023 – Dizindaba Reporter

Langa

On Youth Day Friday, 16 June 2023, the City of Cape Town hosted the Langa Centenary Sports Festival.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews joined the festivities to celebrate 100 years of Langa.

Teams were eager to defy the wet weather, with junior sports kicking-off from 9am, ahead of two titanic ‘Rugby Legends’ clashes in the afternoon, between Langa’s Busy Bees vs City of Cape Town, and Legends vs Parliament.

During the formal programme, the Mayor joined the Busy Bees, one of the country’s oldest rugby clubs, as they unveiled their centenary kit. Four new Langa women’s soccer clubs were also launched on the day.

The City’s #Langa100 plans include restorations to historical monuments, precinct improvements, public participation on new heroes memorials, and a series of community events.

‘Cape Town’s weather has decided to challenge us, but I know the people of Langa. You will not be defeated or deterred, and we will celebrate 100 years of Langa history – and 100 years of Langa sports – come rain, wind or mud.

‘Today is Youth Day, and we have many young people of Langa here with us. And being kids, they were more than happy to run out onto these fields this morning, not afraid to get wet and muddy, to play the games they love. For a hundred years, Langa has played an important part in the story of Cape Town, and that story will continue to be written by those little Langa residents who were scoring goals and tries and making tackles here this morning.

‘It is fitting that we celebrate 100 years of Busy Bees rugby along with 100 years of Langa history, as the two have been inextricably linked over the past century. Busy Bees has been far more than a rugby club to the people of this community, playing a leading role in organising anti-apartheid activity and resisting oppression. It has an amazing community academy that offers boys and girls not only the opportunity to play this beautiful game and the possibility of scholarships, but even supplements their academic programme with extra English, maths and science classes before practices, through a partnership with LEAP School Langa. That is how you truly maximise the power of sport for good. I couldn’t be happier to celebrate 100 years of this legendary club, and their lovely centenary jersey.

‘We’re also delighted to celebrate today the addition of not just one but four new Langa women’s football clubs to the SA soccer scene. Women’s football is certainly on the rise across the globe, and it seems Langa will not be left out. Keep an eye out for Wanderers FC, Hotspurs Ladies, Royal Titans Ladies and United Ladies in the SAFA Cape Town Regional Women’s Development League. I have no doubt they will do Langa proud,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.