Reggae music and the battle for racial equality, especially during the dark days of Apartheid South Africa, went hand in hand.
Reggae superstars such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and South Africa’s own Lucky Dube led the resistance through their powerful lyrics and song. Many of those iconic pieces of music called for the release of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned by the Apartheid for defying the country’s unjust laws against its black population.
The 1980s was when the resistance against the Apartheid government started to ramp up, with activists from all over the world condemning South Africa’s leaders. There were selfless and powerful gestures to get the world to focus on the horrific injustices that were taking place at the tip of the African continent.
Reggae music was more often than not that vessel that was used to ferry that message to the world.
Superstar footballer Ruud Gullit, nicknamed the 'Black Tulip' lived by the principles of reggae music, with his iconic dreadlocks a feature as he dominated the football pitches of Europe during the golden age of Dutch football. He was also part of the anti-apartheid movement in the Netherlands.
In 1987 Gullit, after moving from PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands to AC Milan in Italy, was the best player in the world, with a remarkable ability to play in virtually every position on the pitch. Whether it was operating in defence, midfield, or striker, he was pretty much unstoppable. Milan would eventually win the 1987-88 Serie A title, beating Diego Maradona’s Napoli, with Gullit dominating in the middle of the park.
On December 29, 1987 Gullit was awarded with the coveted Ballon d'Or, and ended up using the football’s biggest platform to dedicate his award to an imprisoned Nelson Mandela.
It was a watershed moment, with football’s biggest star shining the spotlight on what is going on in South Africa.
“You saw my hair and that was all about reggae music, and reggae music was all about the struggle. One of the struggles was the Apartheid system in South Africa,” Gullit told IOL Sport.
“We heard a lot of stories about Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko, it was something that we came to know because of the music.
“When I went to Italy, I was still into reggae music. Friends of mine had a band talking about Apartheid, and to get rid of that system. Then I got the Ballon d'Or and the only thing I could think of was Nelson Mandela in prison and that’s why I dedicated it to him.
“I didn’t know what a stir it would cause in Italy, because in Italy nobody had heard of Nelson Mandela. It also caused a stir in the whole of Europe.
“It was something special for me.”
Gullit said he was initially also made aware of the African National Congress (ANC) and Mandela’s by sports activists Sam Ramsamy and Danny Jordaan three years prior to his Ballon d'Or triumph during a visit to the Netherlands.
Gullit would go on to meet Madiba in South Africa and was awarded with a medal for his dedication to the fight against Apartheid.
Mandela revealed that news of Gullit’s speech at the awards filtered into the jail cells at Robin Island, which gave the political prisoners renewed hope of freedom.
“Later on when I met Madiba, he said it was an unbelievable feeling. He heard about it while in prison what I did that,” Gullit said.
“The only thing that they were afraid of was that they would take that prize off me, thinking that the Apartheid government would react!
“Nelson Mandela then invited me to a match in South Africa, and he knighted me there. I got a medal. I’m an official commander of the South African government and I’m very proud of that.”
However, says it’s difficult for modern-day players to be activists because of the scrutiny and criticism they face on social media these days.
He highlighted the backlash Marcus Rashford received after his campaign to ensure free school meals during summer holidays for kids in the United Kingdom, a cause rooted in his own childhood experiences.
“Rashford giving back for a good cause, helping the kids in schools, and look how much backlash he got. It was ridiculous,” Gullit said.
“That’s why for a sportsman to talk about politics and social issues is the most difficult thing, even if they are doing it for the right reasons.
“When footballers don’t speak out about humanitarian issues, people say they have nothing to say despite their influence. But the reason is that their words are being used against them.
“Eventually somebody would say ‘Rashford is busy with other things’. It’s horrible. It’s not nice.”
* Ruud Gullit is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy
@JohnGoliath82