'We have enough politics in football': Mzansi weighs in on ANC province 'buying' a soccer team

South Africans have reacted to news that the ANC in the Northern Cape has plans to own a PSL football team - with taxpayers footing the bill.

Sunday Times reported that about R30m of taxpayers' money is to be set aside by the provincial government to buy the team, to be named the Northern Cape Football Club.

The party's provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, says the move was being considered as a way to improve sports tourism in the province, with the premier, Zamani Saul, already assigned to explore the possibility of the acquisition.

“We said Free State is next to us and they have soccer teams there. For us, we want to push sports tourism in the province,” Ngxanga said. “We then identified a sporting code that might fast-track the issue of sports tourism, and that’s when the idea of a soccer team came about.”

The said it was agreed that the government of the Northern Cape should implement the plan. "The premier has already started this process and has reported to us they have made progress.”

Taking to social media, the news was met with mixed reactions.

On Facebook, one user wrote: “Why not support a team in the lower division to go up without wasting so much money? Two years later that team needs money, like our SOEs.”

“Do we have a choice about this frivolous spending when our health care needs to improve and our cash cows need to disappear?” another user asked.

One person commented: “I don't see how any of that might be a bad idea. The Northern Cape needs some activity to draw in investments and boost its economy.”

“Without one major football or rugby team, this forgotten province will always lack when it comes to sports tourism, youth development and dealing with poverty and unemployment.

“Whether this needs government intervention or total reliance on the arrogant Stellenbosch private sector, it’s something the people of Northern Cape should decide. The rest of us from the other eight provinces just make ill-informed noise based on the usual divisive and negative SA attitude born out of stupid apartheid hatred mixed with Bantu Education,” said one user. 

On Twitter, here is what some tweeps had to say.