Netball: Life is beautiful for 'Queen of Soweto' today

By Suzanne McFadden

Manzo Machoga works with gas during the day, designs ball gowns at night and teaches black children in Soweto to play netball at the weekend.

Her nickname is "the Queen of Soweto." She screws up her ebony face when she hears it.

Machoga is arguably the most stylish netballer in the South African side who will play the Silver Ferns in Christchurch tonight.

She was also one of the first black players to represent South Africa, making the first touring side after the international ban was lifted four years ago.

Proteas co-coach Bennie Saayman raves about the 28-year-old shooter's creativity and flair.

"It's wonderful how she has brought her type of play to the South African game," she said. "She has popped out of Soweto beautifully."

But Machoga calls her style "crazy."

"Wherever you put the ball, I can get it," she said.

The Soweto team she captains and helps to coach are known in South African netball for their unconventional style - bouncing passes between their legs like the Harlem Globetrotters.

Machoga was a little more subdued in last Wednesday's first test in Wellington, when she entered the game in the second half and the Proteas were 22 goals down.

"I looked up at the score when I walked on, and I tried to make the difference. But it was too hard," she said.

Machoga missed the last tour to New Zealand, in 1996, because she was studying to be a designer. She now lives in Johannesburg, working in two jobs - marketing a gas company and designing women's evening wear.

She still goes back to Soweto at the weekends, to play and coach schoolchildren. Netball in the black community is huge.

Machoga is one of three non-white players in this touring Proteas side.

South African netball continues to have problems in the aftermath of apartheid - the sport's national executive were thrown out last month for being too old and too white.

Machoga does not like to talk about it. "We are all different in the team," she said, before waving her hands and opting out of the discussion.

When she first toured with the Proteas, she could not speak English or Afrikaans, which became a bit of a hurdle at training time.

Today, she speaks eight languages. Most of the training talk is in Afrikaans and she often needs an interpretation to know what is going on.