Two extraordinary local athletes were celebrated for their contribution to sport by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, at the 17th Sport Legends Awards held last week.
From Kraaifontein Mondlaleli Peter Ngcaba was honoured for his excellence in rugby development, and from Brackenfell Dirk Brits received recognition for his role in promoting and transforming the indigenous game of Jukskei.
Brits, from Brackenfell, has dedicated his life to the growth, transformation, and global promotion of Jukskei, serving as chair of South African Air Force Jukskei for 12 years and South African Defence Force Jukskei for six years. Internationally, Dirk served as president of the International Jukskei Federation from 2021 to 2023, promoting the sport in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, the USA and beyond, and leading development tours to Uganda. “His legacy is one of visionary leadership, to inclusivity, and passionate global advocacy for Jukskei,” said minister of cultural affairs and sport, Ricardo Mackenzie at the ceremony held last week.
Growing up in a “Jukskei family”, the sport pulses through his veins, but it was only when he joined the air force at the age of 19 in 1967 that he became captivated by the sport.
Jukskei is a 282-year-old folk sport that originated in 1734 when transport drivers travelling between Swellendam and Cape Town with ox wagon started playing the game in the evenings to while away the time.
“They would take the pens (skeie) and yokes (juk) used on the oxen to play a target game with. The longest pen was pushed into the ground as target to throw at over some distance,” explains Dirk.
In 1939, a year after the 100-year anniversary of the Groot Trek, the South African Jukskei Board was established, and in 1940 the first national championship was held.
“It was my passion to develop the sport in other African countries. In America horse shoe pitching, due to the similarity of the games, promoted Jukskei, while we promoted horse shoe pitching in South Africa. Thus, in 1977 it was decided to establish an International Jukskei Federation,” says Dirk.
Once every four years, South Africa sends a Jukskei team to America to compete.
In addition to his role as promoter, Dirk qualified as an international umpire for the sport and received his Protea Colours in 2009.
A legacy in rugby
In this turn, Ngcaba, a resident of Kraaifontein, began his rugby journey in 1971 at primary school, inspired by senior schoolmates attending rugby matches at Newlands Rugby Stadium. His career took off when he was recruited by Winter Roses Rugby Club in East London, marking the start of his provincial career with the Border Rugby Union, where he played from 1979 to 1981. Peter started playing soccer at the age of 11 in Gugulethu. He later played club rugby for the Buffaloes. But it was his role in rugby education in communities in and outside the province that made a lasting mark. Peter played until the age of 50, and now enjoys walking, cycling and being a rugby spectator.
Mackenzie hailed his contributions to rugby, saying his legacy is marked by his role in fostering unity, and the lasting impact he made on players and communities. Delivering the keynote address, Mackenzie paid tribute to all 26 athletes province wide, many of whom overcame adversity under apartheid to shape the sporting landscape of South Africa. “Your place in history is secured, not because of a single game, a record, or a championship, but because of the lives you have changed,” Mackenzie said.
For more information on Jukskei in South Africa Dirk Brits can be contacted on 082 413 2929.
