SOSHANGUVE AND WINTERVELDT SCHOOLS ENROL IN SOCCER TOURNAMENT TO WIN R1M

High schools from Soshanguve and Winterveldt in the Tshwane region have started their journey to be crowned the 2012 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions, and to win the R1 million that goes with it, when they registered for the country’s biggest schools soccer tournament recently.

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, an initiative co-funded by Sanlam, the Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust and the Motsepe Family Foundation, in collaboration with the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) boasts the largest prize money in the history of South African schools soccer.

“The tournament is open to all high schools including rural, public, private and independent schools,” confirms Berrie Ramushweu, a financial adviser at Sanlam from the Tshwane region.

Ramushweu adds that the national winner will walk away with R1 million, whilst runners-up take home R600 000, third- and fourth-placed winners receive R500 000 and R400 000 respectively, and each provincial winner receives an additional R100 000. “All prize money is used to fund legacy projects identified by the school.”

Last year’s Tshwane regional champions, Central Secondary School from Soshanguve, are vying for a place in the regional finals: “We did well last year in the cluster and regional levels,” said Coach Tshidiso Kutu.  “However, competing in the provincial finals was a different story.  We were outplayed by schools such as Johannesburg Secondary and Rosina Sedibane Secondary, which are both academies.  Our plan is to get to the provincial finals, but at the moment we are taking it step by step and our first goal is to win the league in our cluster.”

Kutu believes his biggest competition will come in the form of Technical High school: “Their players excel at tactics.  But, we have three players who are competing for the second year now, and experience counts.” The two schools will meet next week, Tuesday, 28 February in their last game in the cluster preliminary level.

Fixtures:

SOSHANGUVE CLUSTER
FIXTURES	VENUES
Central Secondary School vs Ruabohlale  Secondary School	768 Block W, Central Secondary School Sports Ground
Seageng Secondary School vs Soshanguve South Secondary School	1029 Block F, Soshanguve South Secondary School Sports Ground
Soshanguve East  Secondary School vs Tiyelani High School	1025 Block F Soshanguve Secondary School Sportsfield
Baleseng Secondary School vs Wallmansthal Secondary School	2115 Block L, Baleseng Secondary School Sports Ground
Soshanguve Technical High School vs Hlomphanang Secondary School	1669 Block L, Soshanguve Technical High School Sports Ground
Thutong Secondary School vs Reitumetse High School	864 Block K, Thutong Secondary School  Sports Field
WINTERVELD CLUSTER
IR Lesolang High School vs Nick Mpshe Secondary School	IR Lesolang High School Sports Court
Thulaganyo Secondary School vs Abel Motswane  High School	Thulaganyo Secondary School Sports Ground
Holy Trinity Secondary School vs Motshabanosi  Secondary School	Holy Trinity Secondary School Sports Ground

“We understand the value of creating the opportunity for people to realise what they hope for, especially the future key role of the children of our nation. Sanlam is proud to sponsor the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup as a way of being a key contributor to your child’s development,” concludes Ramushweu.

To register to compete in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, please contact Mr Nelson Belebesi of the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) 011-567 2824 or Mr Frank Louw, Sanlam sponsorship manager on 021-947 2093. Registration closes on 9 March 2012.

Harmony High School Celebrating after winning the 2011Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Saturday's Hero's Parade for the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Cup

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup finishes off this weekend with a parade in Virginia in the Free State. Harmony Academy won the event and are going to get R 1 000 000 to use on legacy projects. Harmony Academy is well known in South Africa for their soccer history but the area is also known for its Gold mining producing one of the world’s richest gold mining regions.

The town’s name comes from 2 railway surveyors from Virginia in the United States who in 1890 etched their names and birthplace on a boulder near the farm Merrispruit. When the railway siding was established the name was adopted. The next significant date was in 1955 when gold was found on the banks of the Sand River.

It is significant to know that, during the apartheid era, black people were not allowed to live in the town and had to commute from Meloding. This is quite fascinating since Harmony Academy is a predominantly black school and they have uplifted the area due to their soccer skills. Another interesting fact is that the town exists due to the various gold mines that are in the area and they have been built on the blood and sweat of their black workers.

Naturally the kids that will be involved in the parade will not be thinking about the history of the area when they drive through on their open bus. They are the future of the area and they will just be thinking about the future that they are about to create for themselves.

About the mine

The Harmony Free State Operations are located on the south-western corner of the Witwatersrand Basin, between the towns of Allanridge, Welkom, Theunissen and Virginia. The basin, situated on the Kaapvaal Craton, has been filled by a 6-kilometre thick succession of sedimentary rocks, which extends laterally for hundreds of kilometers.

The Free State goldfield is divided into two sections, cut by the north-south De Bron Fault. This major structure has a vertical displacement of about 1 500m in the region of Bambanani, as well as a lateral shift of 4km. This lateral shift can allow a reconstruction of the orebodies of Unisel to the west of the De Bron and Merriespruit to the east. A number of other major faults (Stuirmanspan, Dagbreek, Arrarat and Eureka) lie parallel to the De Bron Fault.

The western margin area is bound by synclines and reverse thrust faults and is structurally complex. Towards the south and east, reefs sub-crop against overlying strata, eventually cutting out against the Karoo to the east of the lease area.

Mining that has taken place is mostly deep-level underground mining, exploiting the narrow, generally shallow dipping tabular reefs.

The Basal Reef is the most common reef and is mined at nearly all the shafts. It varies from a single pebble lag to channels of more than 2m in thickness. It is commonly overlain by shale, which gets thicker further North.

The second major reef is the Leader Reef, located 15-20m above the Basal Reef. This is mostly mined by the shafts in the South. The reef consists of multiple conglomerate units, separated by thin quartzitic zones, often getting up to 4 m thick.

Harmony High School from the Free State is the 2011 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions!

Harmony High School was crowned the 2011 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions after beating rank outsiders, Westridge Secondary School from the Western Cape 4 – 3 on penalties at the Seeisa Ramabodu Stadium in Bloemfontein today, Saturday 16 July.  Neither team managed to score in regulation time.

Experience, playing in an academy and home ground advantage should all contribute to the odds being in one’s favour and this was how Harmony took to the field for the final game.  On the other hand Westridge Secondary School only started competing in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup in 2007 and this year is their first National Finals experience.  In fact the school has only reached the Provincial finals once, in 2007.

From the first whistle Harmony went on the attack and left Westridge looking dazed.  The home team capitalised on the situation and scored a goal which was disallowed being offsides.  This seemed to spur the underdogs on and they settled down and through some good set pieces tried their hardest to score. 

The second half was all in Harmony’s favour.  They bombarded the goal mouth but just could not put the ball in the net and the game went to penalties where Harmony’s composure won them the match.

Harmony was definitely the better team on the day.  While none of the players compete in a PSL Club development structure, such as the players from Johannesburg Secondary School (Orlando Pirates) and Rosina Sedibane (SuperSport United), the players have the best coaching, facilities and train daily as well as get match practise weekly. A luxury Westridge does not have coming from Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town.

According to Harmony Coach, Patrick Mokoena, his success over the past four days was attributed to a combination of Mata Makeng (Central defender) and Bosman Kgaugelo (left back) who marshalled the back as well as Makhalanyane Mojalefa (Right wing) and Mokhele Thabo (left wing).  They were to set the scene for striker, Lehlohonolo Mokoena to score vital goals.  The latter three played in the 2010 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup.

Westridge team manager, Andrew Absolon, is going home with his head held high: “Against all odds we came second and we are happy.  This year we beat the best teams in the Western Province to get to the Finals and now we have beaten some of the best schools in the country and the experience we have learnt will benefit us.  We will go back home and use our new found knowledge to prepare for next year.”

Absolon went on to say:  “We have won R600 000 for the school and I am a happy man.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Ncedo Senior Secondary School from the Eastern Cape beat favourites Johannesburg Secondary School from Gauteng 2 – 0 to end in third place taking home R500 000. Johannesburg Secondary receive R400 000.  Goals were scored by Lungani Totyi and Xolile Ndingane.

FINAL POSITIONS

POSITION	SCHOOL
1	Harmony (Free State)
2	Westridge (Western Province)
3	Ncedo  (Eastern Cape)
4	Johannesburg Secondary School (Gauteng)
5	Rosina Sedibane (Gauteng)
6	Dr R. Cingo (Free State)
7	Pabalelo (Northern Cape)
8	Amahlelo (Mpumalanga)
9	Boithaopo (North West)
10	Mahlale (Mpumalanga)
11	Rietvale (Northern Cape)
12	Mafsiakgomo (Limpopo)
13	Beaufort West (Western Cape)
14	Jojo (Eastern Cape)
15	Sol Plaatje (North West)
16	Phagameng (Limpopo)

Pictures from the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Cup Free State Provincial Finals

Saul Phikane of Ipetleng High School (White) and Siphiwe Radebe of Ntsu High School (Blue) of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District during the Free State Provincial Finals of the 2011 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup held in Sasolburg

Bosman Kgahelo of Harmony High School (Red) of the Lejweleputswa District and Beteleng Khune of Commtech Comprehensive High (White) from Bloemfontein during the Free State Provincial Finals of the 2011 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup held in Sasolburg

Thabo Maya of Ntsu High School (Blue) of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District during the Free State Provincial Finals of the 2011 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup held in Sasolburg