A soccer team, consisting of Vhavenda and Vatsonga traditional leaders, recently demonstrated that they can work together, when they matched up against a team of farmers from Levubu.
The match was played at Hanyani High School's sports ground at Nkuzana and was aimed at lessening tensions in the Vuwani area. In an entertaining match, the two teams played to a 2-all draw, but the Levubu team emerged 7-6 winners after a penalty shoot-out.
The Vatsonga Machangana traditional leader, Hosi Wayeni, said he and other Vatsonga Machangana leaders appreciated playing together with their Venda counterparts, even though there was tension between the two groups. He praised Chief Livhuwani Matsila and an ANC branch for organising the match.
Chief Matsila said he was worried about social cohesion that had been eroded lately and wanted to bring unity between the two ethnic groups that had lived together happily for ages.
This was the second act of leadership Matsila showed in two weeks. Recently he found donors to repair Radzambo High School in his area and brought back the pupils to learn during what is supposed to be a shutdown to oppose inclusion into the new municipality. He also brought two volunteer teachers from Gift of the Givers, who are teaching at the school.
Chief Matsila says that children must not suffer because of demarcation issues and kids must go to school and there must also be normal relations between the ethnic groupings in the area.