The Unfair Way

By Jerry Dlepu

The narrative of this book is to reverse this poor history of black golfers. This is done by not only reflecting on the political, social and economic aspects among non-whites, and blacks in particular, mostly in the country’s labour reserves known as townships, but also by depicting the joy and pain of those who doggedly struggled against all odds to emerge as professional golfers.

Some of the players whose golf career stories are related in the book, such as Norman Mashaba, Vincent Tshabalala will be readily recognisable to some readers. The stories shared are about people who many have never heard of and a select few who were able to permeate the barriers put in place to prevent them from prospering. While they are individual stories and are all interviewed and share commonality in experience to show that the struggle to fight against the injustice was collective even though golf is an individual sport.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jerry Dlepu
• Release date: Aug 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005828691

Jerry Dlepu

Jerry Dlepu is a businessman from Johannesburg South Africa. He has lived through some of the harshest laws imposed by the Apartheid government including the Group Areas Act - which saw his family forcibly removed from their home in Sophiatown to Soweto, Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Bantu Authorities Act, Population Registration Act, and the Suppression of Communism Act – which saw the late Nelson Mandela tried and imprisoned for 27 years.It is through this lens that Jerry Dlepu shares the story of how he and many others pursued their passion to play golf under the extremely difficult circumstances created by the Apartheid government - starting as caddies at white-only golf clubs and later playing the gentleman’s game across the country, the African continent, and eventually around the world. It is a story that captures hardships and the will and perseverance to overcome them. It is also a story that shows transformation is not something that is achieved overnight, but rather through consistent effort from all stakeholders. A collective retelling of lived experiences for future generations to remember.

Book preview

THE (UN)FAIR WAY

The Untold History Of South Africa Black Golf

JERRY DLEPU

Copyright © 2022 by Jerry Dlepu

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, Jerry.Dlepu.

First published in the year 2022 by MFH PUBLISHERS

A division of Mathebe Family Holdings (PTY) LTD

For information contact: www.MFHpublishers.co.za

ISBN : 979-8-8420-1435-4

AN OVERVIEW

Sports in South Africa has always been one of the favourite pastime of the people. This was the case long before the Europeans set foot on the shores of the southernmost tip of the Africa continent.

The games that people have been engaged in are; Ubhukudo/Ukudada, Dibeke/Skununu, Kho-kho, Ntimo/Kgati/Ugqaphu, Diketo/Magave/Upuca, Jukskei, Ncuvu/Morula and Morabaraba, Iintonga, Undize, Umzi, Uzingelo, and athletics, etc.

From the 17th century onwards, non-Africans who settled in South Africa brought their own range of indoor and outdoor sports games that added to the tapestry of the country’s sports world.

Among these, there was the game of golf that traces its origin by some accounts to the Scottish links, but whose adoption by non-whites in the country was limited for centuries due to a variety of reasons all directly linked to Whites led racial discrimination and its highly oppressive impact on anyone that was non-European.

Thus, the game of golf, like similar other sports that remained the exclusive preserve of white people. The involvement of blacks in golf was as caddies or groundsmen. The history of the involvement of blacks in golf has not been recorded to the satisfaction of the people who were involved from the beginning. It furthermore highlights the importance for people to tell their own stories and experiences in their own words so that they are not misunderstood or manipulated. The stories give a glimpse into just how pervasive the apartheid regime was that it even infiltrated sports.

The narrative of this book is to reverse this poor history of black golfers. This is done by not only reflecting on the political, social and economic aspects among non-whites, and blacks in particular, mostly in the country’s labour reserves known as townships, but also by depicting the joy and pain of those who doggedly struggled against all odds to emerge as professional golfers.

Some of the players whose golf career stories are related in the book, such as Norman Mashaba, Vincent Tshabalala will be readily recognisable to some readers. The stories shared are about people whom many have never heard of and a select few who were able to permeate the barriers put in place to prevent them from prospering. While they are individual stories, they are related and share commonality in experience to show that the struggle against the injustice was collective even though golf is an individual sport.

The administration and organisation of golf among players will be addressed up to the integration of black and white golf associations which is still a bone of contention.

The account, packaged in a few chapters about the good and bad experiences of black golfers in White golf courses. It is not inconsistent with the poor rationale of colonisation and Apartheid. The latter a vile human practise, that was declared a crime against humanity by the United Nations Assembly.

THE TITLE

The title of the book uses a play on the words ‘unfair’ and ‘fairway.’ A fairway is the part of a golf course that has short grass and that lies between a tee (the starting point) and a green (the ending point). When something is unfair, it is not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice. By using the parenthesis around the prefix ‘un’ the reader reads both words simultaneously and introduces the theme of the book being the unfairness experienced by black South African golfers on the fairway.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Sicelo Fayo:

I would like to thank you for bringing to fruition the vision for this book. Your contribution has been instrumental to the delivery of the final product.

I also thank the following people for their contributions:

Dr Phil Mtimkhulu for compiling the book, Christopher Meister for Eddie Manyaunyau Sedibe’s story and KB Bambata pictures, Lerato Hlapo for providing Simon Cox" Hlapo’s pictures, Advocate Matseleng Lekoane, Vuyisile Cekisane, Solly Dondashe, Norman Mashaba, Jabu Khethelo, Shadrack Molefe, Obed Matlou, Noel Maart, Mervyn Gallant, Don White, Colin Stanfield, Siphiwe Sephai, Teboho Sefatsa, Lindani Ndwandwe, Kenneth Radimane, Joe Mofulatse, John Mashego, Rocky Tlhabanyane, James Kamte, Dr Itumeleng Motloung, Maceo Sloan, Dr Selepe Motuba and Alan Modiba.

FOREWORD

Golf is a difficult and humbling sport. Some say it is expensive and takes too long to complete a round, therefore not worth playing, it needs patience, practice, dedication, and consistency. There is an unpalatable truism, popular perhaps in the 19th century,-that ‘if you want to hide something from an African person, just put it in a book’-.

Back then and possibly now, it is widely held that Africans don’t read, the position may have changed of late.

In the past, African stories were told around the fireplace and not reduced to writing. It is high time that we as Africans reduce our stories, or let them be told by others who will undoubtedly distort them. When I heard the exciting news that Jerry Dlepu intends writing a book on untold stories of African golf in South Africa, I was elated at the thought and did not shy away on the offer to write the foreword. Surely at that time I did not know what I needed to write about, however that did not deter me from accepting the honour.

What came to mind was the necessity to the story by telling where most African golfers originated from, specifically that the majority came from being caddies. That this was the case for many was not by choice but due to necessity to earn a living. Yes, there are others who simply developed the liking of or interest in the game; some by watching it being played and others because golfers wore elegantly and appeared very stylish and fashionable. Those who know me, would probably say, speak for yourself, as I liked and played golf simply by admiring the way they looked - very dandy and "appeared soos clever" (looked like trend setters).

The book explores the development of golf in the townships, the treatment by the government regime of the day (the dark days of the terrible apartheid), discriminating Africans from all sorts of sporting codes because of the prevailing laws of separating people based on their ethnicity. Some of us hated some sporting codes not because of rampant hatred, but because they were used by the system as a tool to discriminate other humans based on their groupings. The book, in my view, is a fundamental must read to enlighten posterity on how African golfers became what they are today. It is about putting the record straight and, at the same time, educating young ones about our history.

Soulfully

Justice Jerry Zweli Shongwe

Justice Jerry Zweli Shongwe

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO SIMON COX HLAPO ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED BLACK GOLFERS

This book is a tribute to the founding fathers of black golf. These are mainly men, who in spite of the challenges that they faced, did not shy away from their responsibility of paving the way for those who will later follow their brave and courageous steps. Apart from dealing with a foreign game, they were also faced with the iniquitous racial political system of the white South African regime. The odds were stacked against them, but they soldiered on.

It would be unfair to single out an individual who could be regarded to have played a prominent role in this battle. But Simon Cox Hlapo deserves that honour. He is a symbol of the struggle of a black golfer. He was in a class of his own. He was not your usual colourful golfer. His dress code was ordinary, he could be easily mistaken for a passer-by, were it not of his imposing frame as well as his trademark beret.

Cox was a product of Jari Mangena Dyasi, who was himself the greatest golfer ever from Alexandra. He was also mentored by Sam Mnisi. He was born on the 07 July 1926. As a result of the forced removals of the mid 1950’s, when black people were moved from areas such as Alexandra, Sophiatown, Newclare and Western native township. In 1956 he relocated to Dube in Soweto. Over and above being a good golfer, he was also a proficient motor mechanic. He was a master in both his chosen persuasions. He would at times be unable to enter some tournaments, as he would not have made enough money from working on cars to enable him to pay for his tournament entry.

Cox was a humble, modest and generous man. He availed his car to ferry many a golfer to many tournaments. He mentored many youngsters about the game.

Cox travelling with fellow golfers

As mentioned earlier, on the course the man was peerless. He methodically went about making birdies on his way to one of his many victories. He was the King of the sand green golf courses. He won numerous tournaments, which were staged by the South African non- Golf Union. He dominated the podium. He won the South African Non-European tournament four times. This feat was achieved in 1955, 1957, 1958 and 1959, in the same tournament he finished second (1961), fourth (1967) and third (1968). He won the Free State open in three consecutive, the Kroonstad open in 1959 and 1964. The highlight of his career was winning the inaugural 3M Classic in 1982, which carried a prize money of R10 000.

He was posthumously inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame. He was the only golfer who could stand toe to toe with Papwa Sewgolum, as evidenced in their epic sudden death playoff at Ohenimuri golf club, during the Louis Luyt Lager Championship, which Cox won in a spectacular fashion.

Simon Cox Hlapo celebrating in his kitchen

Frankly, Cox was a simple, modest, generous a gentleman in the true sense of the word in my view.

His sudden death in his sleep on the 27th September 1986 made newspaper headlines and tributes poured in from near and far. Cox Hlapo would be missed, Cox – never made enemies.

Without a doubt, Simon Cox Hlapo is the poster boy of black golf.

You were the greatest KUBU-KUBU A NTSHE DIROTA HA GO KGOSI KO DIGOJENG.

PREFACE

This book shares the stories of different people with the same lived experiences and as such, there may be many similarities between them. The repetition, although tedious, serves as a reminder that the injustices of the past affected people in the same way.

Read patiently and with empathy, these previously untold stories.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A recollection of a time gone by, this is the story of what it was like to be a black golfer in the old days, when the