4.1 Read a text  (Page 2/3)

Read the following passage carefully and follow the instructions related to it:

“AMACAL’EGUSHA”

In the remote rural areas of the Eastern Cape a traditional cricket tournament has been played every year for the past eighty years or more. It is called the “Amacal’egusha”, or the “half-sheep tournament” by the Xhosa people who participate, because the prize is a sheep or half a sheep. The fact that there are no proper facilities does not put them off and they are as enthusiastic about the game as any player in a city would be, if not more so. It is not unusual to see young men, “white-washed” in clay, just after having left their initiation schools, amongst the spectators. Many youngsters find themselves the best “seats” in the tall thorn trees around the field. Some enthusiasts bring their own seats along, but they would never miss the game. This just proves that cricket is certainly not only a game for rich white city dwellers, as some people might think. After all, this is where stars like Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zondeki come from.

Source: BY, Die Burger , 11 January 2003

1. Try to get someone who speaks Xhosa well to teach you how to pronounce “ Amacal’egusha” properly. Pay attention to the way in which the “c” is pronounced. It might also be a good time to learn about some of the other “clicks”, such as the x and q as well.

2. Do you know where the “remote rural areas” of the Eastern Cape are?

(a) Draw a map of South Africa, indicating the Eastern Cape.

(b) Indicate the Great Fish River and the Kei River.

(c) Do some research on the Wild Coast. You will discover that it is a tourist haven because of the beautiful beaches and good fishing. Indicate two favourite tourist spots on the Wild Coast. Write their names on the map, and mark each one with a T.

(d) This coastline is called the “Wild Coast” because of the dangerous coastline and the stormy seas that sometimes occur. Find out about at least ONE famous shipwreck that occurred along this coastline and write its name:

(e) What do you think are the problems faced by schools and their learners in this remote part of our country? Name at least two.

Read the passage attentively.

“STREET CRICKET”

Paul “Gogga” Adams remembers how he learnt cricket in the dusty Cape township streets. Many players, such as Roger Telemachus, Henry Williams and Justin Ontong started their careers by playing street cricket on the Cape Flats. It was quite simple: all one needed was a rubbish bin, a bright plastic crate or a pile of bricks as wickets, a bat or even a sturdy plank, a tennis ball and a few enthusiastic boys from the neighbourhood. Many window panes were broken as the players hit sixes!

LABELLING

Have you ever heard people saying something like the following?

• “Cricket is only for rich English whiteys!”
• You’re a sissie if you don’t play rugby!”
• “Oh, only blacks play soccer!”
• “He doesn’t play sport; he only plays the piano… He can’t be a real man!”

We call this stereotyping . We label people by putting them in a certain category and then we describe them using a preconceived idea. We simply create a fixed picture of a person and then label him/her without considering the individual and his/her circumstances. This is a hurtful human habit and we should try to avoid doing it. Psychologists say we do this as a form of protecting ourselves, because we feel uncertain and threatened when someone is different from the crowd. We feel more powerful and more secure in our own little group when we are able to put people into “boxes”. It is, however, an unfair and harmful practice to label people.