Langa's vibrant parade welcomes home the Proteas after World Test Championship victory
Langa born Thamba Bavuma with councillor Lwazi Pakade. Mr Pakade is proud to have a sport leader from Langa.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Friday, July 25, was a day of celebration in the city, particularly in Langa, as the community welcomed home their cricketing heroes during the Proteas’ victory parade.
Langa, long known as a sporting hub, came alive in a show of colour and pride as residents celebrated the Proteas’ historic win in the World Test Championship at Lord’s cricket ground in England last month.
The streets were adorned in black, gold, green, red, white, and blue, with large crowds gathering hours in advance to witness the festivities.
Seniors were at the cricket oval to welcome their sons with a song and dance.
Image: Phiri Cawe
The day began with Proteas captain Temba Bavuma visiting his grandmother’s home in Langa, before heading to the cricket oval for formalities. The team then boarded an open-top bus and paraded through the area, cheered on by hundreds of supporters. Parts of King Langalibalele Road were closed to traffic, and a strong police and security presence ensured the safety of the celebrations.
Residents welcomed the team with ululations, songs, and heartfelt applause. The players received a hero’s welcome, much to their delight.
Bavuma said he hoped bringing the trophy home would serve as inspiration to young people in Langa to take up cricket. “It is something that I dreamed of playing for South Africa. That was the biggest dream for a lot of us. To bring back the trophy and to be at home is something significant for many of these kids. They see someone who looks like them. They see other players on TV, but now they see them live. This will go a long way for their dreams and aspirations,” he said.
Hundreds of cricket hopefuls from the KFC Mini Cricket were happy to see their role models live.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Bavuma, who began his cricketing journey in Langa, described the experience as humbling to celebrate the win at home. He added that he looked forward to taking the celebration to other provinces.
The players also took time to play cricket with local children and offer words of encouragement before hitting the road.
Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada also shared words of encouragement with the young athletes.
“You are fortunate to have Temba, who grew up here. That should inspire you to know that anything is possible, regardless of your circumstances,” he said.
World cricket champions visited Langa on Friday. The Proteas were welcomed by the fans.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Community members expressed pride and joy upon seeing the cricket heroes return.
Nolubabalo Jika said she was excited after meeting Tony de Zorzi. “I am a die-hard fan of Tony de Zorzi. I couldn't help but shed a tear seeing him in person. We rarely have the privilege of seeing them; we only see them on television. But seeing Temba lead the entire country is monumental. We thank the ancestors for him.”
Nobantu Dlikilili, a fan from Mfuleni, joked about being surprised at Dave Paterson’s height and thanked Cricket South Africa for including Langa in their tour.
“They could have just ignored us, but they thought about us. We have given them a leader. This is not the first Langa player to represent the country; there have been others like Thami Tsolekile. We are proud of Langa for producing champions,” she said.
Local councillor Lwazi Pakade said it was a proud moment for the area and praised Bavuma’s leadership. “We are grateful to Temba for his humility and for leading by example. It’s an honour to welcome the team here,” he said.
The parade featured several Proteas players, including Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, and Wian Mulder.