Content - From Malan tot Mbeki

CHAPTER 2Athletics and politics have always played an important role in mylife. It was through athletics that I became involved in Zola Budd'scareer as a long distance runner - and ultimately this involvement ledme to the point where I had to drastically change my own politicaloutlook.I first got to know Zola Budd when she came to Stellenbosch as ateenage athlete, to take part in “hour meets” at Coetzenburg. She wasthe biggest star in South African Track and Field athletics at the time,and the crowds flocked to the track to see her in action.She was only 15 at the time of her first visit. Her parents did notwant her to stay with the other athletes because of her age, so sheoften stayed with us at Neethlingshof. We often teased her for hermeagre eating habits. (Two peas and a bowl of ice cream seemed tobe her favourite.)Through those visits, I also became good friends with Zola’s coach,Pieter Labuschagne. He was a teacher at Zola’s school in Bloemfontein,Sentraal High School.At the time, it became known that her family had decided toaccept an offer from The Daily Mail newspaper in London, to helparrange for Zola to obtain a British passport, so as to enable her to runin England. Zola’s father, Frank, had English parents - and Zolatherefore qualified for an “ancestral” passport through him.South Africans were, at that stage, banned from internationalcompetition, and although some South Africans on both sides of thepolitical fence weren’t happy with Zola running for Britain, mostwere happy to see a talented local youngster shining on theinternational stage.17