A Brief History of Luso Africa – (Comendadore Jáime Margarido)

To write the history of Luso África without paying tribute to the club’s mentor, the Victoria de Germiston, and all its members and collaborators is impossible because it was they who, with all their effort and dedication, created and maintained this club from 1964 to 1999.

We must remember that it was the proceeds from the sale of the Victoria property that made it possible to buy Hatting Park and the Festival Hall, and to achieve this sum was only possible during the 35 years that the club has been alive, working hard and with an iron will.

There were many Portuguese men and women who spent countless hours, hours of their rest and stolen from the rest and well-being of their families for the benefit of their club.
Especially the group of ladies who accompany their husbands and who are always forgotten.
In this particular case, which was not dissimilar to other clubs in the community, the mothers, who never let go of their children when they were young, made their beds under the tables while they worked for the club without earning a cent.

In this brief history, I would like to say thank you, Victoria, thank you to your members and collaborators.

In these 19 years, Luso África has been very active, not only taking part in Portugal Day celebrations, but also celebrating St. Martin’s Day with chestnuts and everything that reminds us of Portugal.

Its cycling section, as well as taking part in all the local events, also takes part in the famous Argus Tour, an international event with a big name.
In addition to its activities, it also started and maintains an annual ride from Johannesburg to Maputo, Mozambique, for humanitarian purposes, the proceeds of which go to needy organisations.

Sport, more specifically soccer, has brought prestige to the club through its performance and results.

Only the theatre section, which at first was very active and full of enthusiasm.

Today, it is inactive and sad due to a lack of support from the community, since the generation that appreciates theatre is now quite small.
In fact, we can conclude that the younger generation doesn’t appreciate this art, and there’s also the language problem.

Therefore, there is no shortage of social activities where, of course, we must highlight the traditional “Papas de Sarrabulho”, which are a speciality of the club and also a legacy of the now defunct Victoria Futebol Clube.

Luso África is therefore a healthy club, ready to welcome anyone who wishes to join.

As mentioned, we have recorded for posterity the names of the members of both clubs who took part in the meetings to prepare the union of the two clubs, Victoria and Inter Primrose.

There is also a historic photograph of all the members of both clubs who took part in this ceremony, which was also witnessed by the press and by the President of the Federation, Mr. Antonio Teixeira and the representatives of the Portuguese Consulate, Dr. Caldas da Costa and representing Mr. Dr. Jose Galaz. “ xxxx Ambassadors

List of the members of Victoria and Inter who took part in the meetings that led the two clubs to come together:-

For Inter: Tony Lemos, Silvino Santos (who secreted the minutes), Joe Perny, Mario Franco, Sergio de Oliveira, Paulo da Silva, Frank Henchel and Carlos Perny.

For Victoria: Jáime Margarida, Manny Correia, Antonio Pinheiro, Angelo Santos, Antonio Andrade (Nito), Tony Diogo, Faustino Teixeira, Domingos Torres Junior, Jose Barbosa, Tony Pereira (barriga), Joaquim Silva, Antonio Rebelo (Bife), America Alves, Armindo Alves, Chris da Silva, João Pereira Carapinha and Tony Azeredo.
……(List prepared by J.Margarido 22/03/2016)………

2009/04/03

A brief history of the Luso África Sports Club and Cultural Association.

Luso África, as it is known, was born out of the merger of two former Portuguese clubs, Victoria Futebol Clube de Germiston and Inter Clube Social de Primrose.

It’s worth noting that both clubs have a long history full of traditions.

Victoria, born in a district of Germiston with a strong presence of Portuguese from the north of Portugal, especially from Maia, started out as a soccer club, like most Portuguese clubs in the community, having temporarily created a mini folkloric band and a school for teaching Portuguese, but it was with theater that it made a name for itself in the community.

At the time of the merger, it also had a strong cycling section founded by Mr. João Pereira Carapinha, which was transferred to the new club.
Inter de Primrose, formed five years later, also took up soccer, the Portuguese sport of the time, and had a strong presence in the community, winning several titles in this sport.

It also had a valiant folkloric ranch that defended the roots and customs of the Santa Maria da Feira region, a name it proudly bore in honour of the region and the ranch’s patron and sponsor, the businessman, now Commander Salvador Pais Pereira.

The moment of truth:
The Victoria of Germiston, always with community tendencies and defending unity, when it was forced to sell its property, offered several Portuguese clubs in the northern part of Johannesburg and the East Rand, the proceeds of that sale, at the time substantial, so that a large club could be formed instead of small, isolated nuclei.

For various reasons, which I don’t want to mention here, the offer wasn’t accepted, just as it had been in the past, in 1978, when it was already recognised that there were too many clubs.

So, isolated, the leaders of that insistent club, Victoria, decided to fight for the acquisition of Hatting Park, which fortunately happened, thanks to the persistence of the committee elected for this purpose, which consisted of Jáime Margarido, Manuel Correia, Hernani Peneda and Zeca Marques.

With the complex now secure, a small miracle took place.

The hosts of Inter de Primrose waved the white flag of peace, putting an end to a rivalry that had lasted many years.

The board of Inter de Primrose, led by Tony Ferreira Lemos, approached the president of Victoria, Jáime Margarido, proposing that the two clubs unite, a proposal that was accepted after being studied and discussed with all the leaders of the two clubs.

(The names of all those who took part in this decision will be mentioned later.)

The first step had been taken, but only two clubs for a project as ambitious as it was risky? Although this had never happened in the community before, and even today, 19 years later.
Nothing like it has materialised.

With the proposal still in the air for other clubs/collectivities, the old and glorious A.C.P. Associação da Colónia Portuguesa (Portuguese Colony Association) was even included in the project.

At the time, its doors were closed, and the sale of its facilities was being negotiated. According to the then president of the General Assembly and the person responsible for the future of the A.C.P., Comendador Rodolfo Miranda, the proceeds from the sale of the headquarters were to be used to build a projected pavilion in Hatting Park bearing the name of that old collective, so that it would never lose its identity.

However, nothing happened until the crucial date for the launch of the new club was set.

The choice of name:

Everything went well and smoothly at the premeditated meetings between the leaders of Victoria and Inter, and the name of Luso África Sports Clube was chosen to serve the union of the two clubs. In the meantime, the top leader of the A.C.P suggested that something compatible with the parchments of that Association be added to the name, and so the title that bears “Luso África Sports Club and Cultural Association” was finalised.

Unfortunately, the then leaders of the A.C.P. (how many?) didn’t take this project seriously and, ironically enough, the old and prestigious Association came to an end.

And so it was that on August 15, 1999, the new community club was launched at a party full of glitter and quality held at Presleys Night Club, in which two old rivals joined forces and joined hands. By the supreme will of their leaders and associates, they had given up a glorious past in the hope of giving value and setting an example for the community.

In this initiative, unique in the community until then, credit must be given to Jáime Margarido and Tony Ferreira (Lemos) for convincing the members of their respective clubs, as well as João (Joe) Perny da Silva, the soccer coordinator.

Later, perhaps due to the misfortune that befell them with successive vandalism attacks on the clubhouse and after some hesitation, the board and members of the Bezvalley Social Club decided to reinforce this merger, which is said to be exemplary, and here too a lot of credit goes to the brothers Tony and Paulo Estrela. Tony Azeredo was asked to design the emblem and the respective flag, which he gave to the new “Club” with which he began to collaborate.

In 2007, Luso África became richer as a Portuguese institution in solidarity with the community, with the inclusion of the S.Jorge Scouts, to which the club ceded a plot of land so that the group could set up, which it did with great enthusiasm.

The Scouts, although not an integral part of the joint venture like Inter, BezValley and Victoria, are nevertheless an asset to the reality of the Luso Africa institution.

So today, after 19 years, we have a club in the community which, as its name suggests, is made up of not only Portuguese and Luso descendants but also various other nationalities, especially young Africans who play soccer at youth level.

In addition to soccer, the club’s main sport, which is played by hundreds of young people of various ages, including 3 women’s teams and 2 veterans’ teams, as well as the senior team, the club also has a cycling section made up of various age groups and a very dedicated theater section.

List of Victoria and Inter members who have moved to Luso África and become part of the history of this Portuguese club:-