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Reading Solly Moeng’s opinion piece on Wayde van Niekerk, one can only shake one’s head and make “Tssk-tssk,” noises.
Watching Wayde run the 400m must go down as one of the all-time great sports events I have ever witnessed – and I have seen the great Olympic athlete, Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali), when he beat reigning heavyweight champion, Sonny Liston, to become the new world champion.
I have a feeling Wayde van Niekerk will go on to new heights and go down in history as one of South Africa’s all-time greats.
But let’s get down to Solly Moeng, who is a “brand reputation management advisor strategic corporate communications consultant,” (whatever-the-hell that might be), and the article he wrote on Wayde’s win.
Solly sings the same tired old song most of us have become sick of hearing: How the 1995 Boks’ victory brought the nation together; Nelson Mandela’s so-called “wisdom,” – and how South Africans celebrate together whenever their sports men and women make them proud – yadda, yadda, yadda.
The rest of Solly’s article is pure guesswork on how much money Wayde is going to make from his victory – “fame, elevated romantic and opportunistic interest and a whole lot more.” In other words: unadulterated speculation.
According to Solly, Wayde’s win will bring the whole of South Africa together – and solve all our “challenges.”
Think again, Solly. One swallow does not make a summer.
The unemployed, homeless people will still live in squalor. The corrupt, incompetent government officials will still be in power. The country’s infrastructure will still fall apart; strikes and riots will still be a daily occurrence; racism and xenophobia are here to stay – and Wade’s fantastic win will not change these harsh facts.
Maybe Solly Moeng should stick to being a “brand reputation management advisor strategic corporate communications consultant,” and stop spreading pie-in-the-sky stories. No one believes them anymore.
