Steve Komphela stands up for Msunduzi sponsorship of Royal AM

SABC News reported this week that the DA is arguing that this money could be best used to address issues of service delivery in the Pietermaritzburg area and consider the sponsoring of a professional football team as a wasted expenditure.

With the deal expected to be signed this week, for the next three years, Komphela says football is in dire need of these kinds of investments.

"There's a financial benefit but beyond the financial benefit and upliftment of these impoverished, there's also a moral upliftment through sports. You know when you play sports your self-esteem improves," Komphela said.

"Look at the Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, he comes from a village. Siya wouldn't have been where he is if it wasn't for sport. I wouldn't have been where I was if it wasn't for sport, never. 

The white people would then shoot that down because it doesn't serve the purpose of their communities. Why is sport so precious? 

Why are such beautiful facilities in white areas and not in black areas? Because they understand the importance and value of sport but then when we have to then give money to sport so that it can continue to unravel the positive co-human values then the DA shoots it down. We have to stand up for this." 

But the political parties have not taken kindly to this, arguing that the area is battling with services delivery issues, with the city remaining under administration.

Komphela, whose late brother Bhutana, was a former MEC in the Free State and also a Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Sport, says there should always be balance when issues of service delivery are brought up.

"Yes, we understand and fully agree that there has to be service delivery but a Steve Komphela, who's now flourishing in business because his self-esteem has been built and he's made it in life. 

He will go back and give back to his community for better services and service delivery is not only through material. Service delivery is about uplifting people and getting greater human beings coming out of these areas and sport does that."