Football and Revolution

Why was a commander in the ANC’s guerrilla army stationed in Angola in the 1980s spending his Saturday afternoons listening to Arsenal games on BBC radio?

Ronnie Kasrils, the South African revolutionary, is the guest on the weekly football podcast presented by Tony Karon and myself.

From Johannesburg, where he lives, Ronnie, now 83 years young, talks about his lifelong devotion to Arsenal F.C. and English football which dates to his time in political exile, first in exile and then in the UK; Highbury’s role in the South African struggle (as rendezvous point between underground operatives); his football rivalry with Joe Slovo; his favorite players (Thierry Henry, Charlie George, Socrates and Eric Cantona); and, finally, the future of South African sport, including that of the family godson, Sacha Nngomezulu-Feinberg, the flyhalf and captain of Under-20 Springbok rugby team.

Watch.