Dan Dumile Qeqe (died 2005) was a prominent sports administrator who struggled to establish non-racial sport in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

province of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. When the Bantu Administration Board denied him access for black teams to sports grounds, he rallied the community to build his own rugby stadium.

History

Qeqe joined Spring Rose Rugby Football Club in the 1950s after leaving

Fort Beaufort Fort Beaufort ( Xhosa: iBhofolo), officially renamed KwaMaqoma in March 2023, is a town in the Amatole District of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, and had a population of 25,668 in 2011. The town was established in 1837 and became a mun ...

for

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha ( , ), formerly named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal ...

. During the 1970s Dan Qeqe administered non-racial rugby and cricket in the Eastern Cape. Qeqe also campaigned for better living conditions. He was harassed and detained by the Security Branch of the South African Police. After the Bantu Administration Board denied the Kwazakele Rugby Union (Kwaru) access to sports grounds, Qeqe led the fight to build his own stadium. As a deacon of the Edward Memorial Congregational Church, he also helped to build two churches in Motherwell and KwaMagxaki township

Qeqe resigned from membership of the Port Elizabeth Joint Advisory Board, which he came to see as ineffective

Qeqe remained Spring Rose's club treasurer up to his death.

References

* Gary Boshoff, "Go well, Baas Dan", June 29, 2005, News2

* Jimmy Matyu, "Dan Qeqe’s legacy of non-racism lives on," ''The Herald Online,'' June 10, 200

2005 deaths South African sports executives and administrators Year of birth missing {{SouthAfrica-rugbyunion-bio-stub