Plaatjies makes positive moves in townships through chess

Mawethu Plaatjies is the sports category winner for the 2024 edition of The Herald NMU Citizens of the Year Awards
THINKING GAME: Mawethu Plaatjies is the sports category winner for the 2024 edition of The Herald NMU Citizens of the Year Awards
Image: Supplied

Mawethu Plaatjies’ undying efforts to make chess popular among township schools have not gone unnoticed.

The 30-year-old from the Ezinyoka area in Govan Mbeki Township has been selected as the sports category winner for this year’s edition of The Herald NMU Citizens of the Year Awards.

He will be celebrated and honoured at a red-carpet awards ceremony on Friday, September 20. 

Plaatjies, chair and founder of Township Chess Academy and co-ordinator of the Township Schools League, was humbled by the nomination.

“It’s a blessing to be a category winner,” Plaatjies said.

“I can’t explain the feeling, even happiness is not enough because to me it’s like a dream come true.

“It’s like I am seen and appreciated for my work in the community even though I never felt people were not appreciative.

“I would like to thank The Herald for recognising my work, I am happy, humbled, and honoured to be nominated and be the winner.”

Plaatjies said high school chess coach Lulamile Jonas at Khwezi Lomso Comprehensive School inspired him to advocate for chess and push for development in the townships.

“He played a major role in introducing chess in the township because before chess was only seen in the suburbs.

“Seeing him doing that, motivated me and shaped me into who I am today.

“I aim to see all the township schools play chess. What drives me is my love for chess.

“I don’t need support from anyone. Even if I don’t get any support, I keep going because I love chess and development.

“Our communities are very disadvantaged because chess is a rare sport so I felt I needed to introduce chess into our township schools.

“Chess is a thinking game that helps the mind and will help the kids develop their minds.

“It also builds problem-solving skills and strategic thinking, so chess is important and must be introduced to pupils for our benefit.”

The Township Chess Academy, affiliated with the Nelson Mandela Bay Chess Union, was opened in 2021 and two years later the Township Schools League was formed.

The league started with four schools but has quickly grown to 15.

“We started with Ben Sinuka Primary, Seyisi Primary, Sivuyiseni Primary, and Gertrude Shope.

“I helped to introduce chess in those schools and further worked with Cebelihle Primary and Tyhilulwazi High School which are also in the Ezinyoka area.

“We have about 15 schools now that are part of the Township Chess League.”

Plaatjies said his other major objective was to decrease the level of crime, alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy in his community.

He said chess kept children busy on weekends as they attended chess practices at the Ezinyoka Multi-purpose Community Hall every Saturday at 2pm.

“Our community has high crime and no alternatives such as sport. That is the challenge.

“No positive things are happening that are encouraging to kids and that is why I decided to do something different to support the kids in our community.”

He said his biggest challenge was that many schools wanted to join the School League and he was unable to assist them all.

“I would have to get them coaches because the new schools that are joining don’t know chess and do not have the equipment.

“I am so grateful to the Nelson Mandela Bay Chess Union because I wrote to them about this challenge and they sponsored us with 20 chess boards and 10 clocks.

“But that problem is not sufficiently solved because there are a lot of schools where we need to introduce chess, like in Motherwell.”

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