Thanks to the efforts of Hlope, Webster and the union, Morabaraba is now officially recognised as a bona fide sport by the government and has been accepted by the International War Games Federation. He's been playing the game since he was 15 and finished second and third respectively in the 1997 and 1999 world championships. A Protea team are travelling to England to take part in the World Individual War Games Championships. At this stage, the game is still played primarily by black South Africans, but Hlope and Webster are beginning to change that. One of our biggest problems is getting people to realise that Morabaraba, like chess, is a game that can be enjoyed at all levels.
Kids learn the fundamentals quickly but the top players are incredibly skilled and clever.
It's something a former Russian chess master and academic learnt to his cost. In past ages Morabaraba was used to teach young warriors the strategies required for cattle raids. As such we should be proud of it and do everything possible to preserve and promote it.