Sanlam Features Thabang Lebese
Soccer Laduma and Sanlam Sky pay homage to South Africa's great players and coaches who were taken before their time. While they may be gone, their exploits on the field of play will never be forgotten! This week we celebrate the life and career of the late great Thabang Lebese... 'Chillies' exposed himself to dangers Too many South African footballers die in car crashes. Some meet their end due to violent crime, often caused by leading reckless lifestyles involving substance abuse or by exposing themselves to compromising situations. Others contract HIV and later pass away because of Aids. The recent high-profile passing of Richard Henyekane in a tragic car accident was another likely case of recklessness at the wheel due to, what appears to be, an undisciplined lifestyle. Jeffrey Ntuka possessed real ability as a fullback. Early in his career he played at Chelsea with the likes of John Terry and Didier Drogba, yet his life later descended into an alcoholic hell after the untimely passing of his parents in 2007. Clubless at the age of 26, he was knifed to death in a township following an alleged drunken squabble, as violent crime claimed another local footballer. Thabang Lebese was another tragic case. A wonderfully talented attacking midfielder in his hey-day for Kaizer Chiefs, he scored close to 80 goals in just over 200 appearances. However, it was off the pitch where his life seemed to be spiralling out of control. Big money rewards bring fame, glamour, parties and women, and, in many instances, the absolutely critical merits of safe sex are simply ignored. In other words, in an environment in which the alcohol flows, money is no object, and easy women throw themselves at players, the risks of life-threatening situations occurring dramatically multiplies. It appears 'Chillies' exposed himself to these dangers and paid the price with his life at the age of 38. Heed Thabang's lesson or yours may be the next obituary Nonetheless, if there is something to be learnt from these footballers who die every year it is that their mistakes must be viewed by the current generation of PSL stars as essential life lessons. Namely, when drinking and splashing around your wealth, stay off the roads. If engaged in sexual activities with women who are only with you because of your social status, practice safe sex. And, as in the case of OJ Mabizela perhaps, when your life is spiralling out of control off the pitch, don't be afraid to ask for help. The time has to come for these deaths stop. The moment must arrive when the dangers facing top footballers in Mzansi cannot be overlooked. At least in the last years of Thabang Lebese's life, he dedicated himself to educating others about safe sexual practices. The one-cap Bafana Bafana international worked for a Non-Governmental Agency called 'Show Me Your Number' – a group dedicated to HIV prevention through sports, art and culture - to promote the message that it is okay to disclose your HIV status because there are avenues available to treat the virus. They also highlight why safe sex must be practised if individuals are going to engage with multiple partners. What we, therefore, should take from Lebese's life are not the moments of magic he produced for the likes of Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The lesson has nothing to do with his eye for goal and scintillating skills, or his trademark goal celebration for that matter. It is that he was dead because of full blown Aids at the age of 38 and that his family are now on their knees in poverty today largely as a result. It's time to acknowledge that the deaths of Henyekane, Ntuka and Lebese were all preventable. For their lives to count for something in the fullness of time, football players need to start trying to lead safe, healthy and morally upstanding lives off the pitch. Or, to those who refuse to heed these ongoing lessons, perhaps yours may be the next obituary to be written in these pages. Sohlala Sinikhumbula, Thabang.
