WHERE were you and what were you doing in 2002? Well, if you forgot how that year looked like in Mzansi back then, we will take you down memory lane.
For soccer lovers, this is the year in which the Fifa World Cup was hosted by two countries – South Korea and Japan – for the first and only time in history.
Brazil won the tournament by beating Germany 2-0 with both goals coming from the legendary Ronaldo.
Italy’s referee, Pierluigi Collina, who is regarded as the GOAT of referees, was the man in the middle.
On the local front, Kaizer Chiefs won their fourth PSL title under the guidance of Muhsin Ertugral.
Players the likes of Brian Baloyi, Patrick Mabedi, Cyril Nzama, Jabu Pule, Thabo Mooki, Tinashe Nengomasha, Patrick Mbuthu, Doctor Khumalo and Arthur Zwane were the leading figures in that success.
The music of 2002 was most definitely different from today. While most of ama2000 were still in their nappies that time and Amapiano was not even a distant dream. Mzansi’s own genre, Kwaito, was blazing the trails.
The late Mandoza was part of the royalty of the music scene with his multiple hits such as Nkalakatha, Godoba and 50/50 from his successful album, Tornado.
Other big hits of that year included Puff ‘N Puss by Brown Dash, Sibongile by Mafikizolo, No. 1 Tsotsi by Tokollo, Izinja by Mapaputsi, Guqa Ngamadolo and Amakoporosh by Mzekezeke, featuring Brown Dash.
Another local legend, Spokes H, refused to be left behind and forced his way into the charts with what was supposed to be a gospel album titled, Tsa Thoriso Le Maikutlo. One of the hit songs in the album, Mohla Ke Tsamayang, was heard more at taverns than at religious gatherings.
Cindy Nell took that year’s Miss SA title while on the motoring front, one of Audi’s best diesel cars, the Audi 1.9 TDI scooped the Car of The Year prize. During those days, the loveable VW Golf GTI was still at its fifth generation, or simply Golf V.
In politics, Thabo Mbeki was still president while the late Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was health minister. This was a period in which HIV/Aids ravaged people in Mzansi and the two had their own ideas on how to tackle the pandemic.
The Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto was also opened in 2002, making it the first museum to open doors in the historic township.
It was also in the same year that a right-wing known as the Boeremag started fighting for things to go back to pre-1994. They set up and detonated bombs in Soweto and Bronkhorstspruit but were soon neutralised and arrested.
Notable deaths of 2002 include those of former sports minister Steve Tshwete, as well as one of Mzansi’s most talented sportsmen, former Proteas captain Hansie Cronje. Unfortunately Cronje died a disgraced man after he was caught in a web of an international match-fixing ring.
And perhaps the biggest change over the years? The price of everyday items. A litre of petrol in June 2002 would set you back R3.20. Today that number is R24.17 on the reef and R23.52 in coastal areas.
A loaf of bread cost R3.35, but today a cheap loaf of unsliced brown bread will cost your R10. And if you prefer the sliced variety, then expect to pay R15 or more. A 12.5kg bag of maize meal cost around R40.50 but today you are lucky if you find one under R125.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg that is getting bigger by the day and looking scary for consumers in 2022.
