Steenbok mourns its ‘football encyclopaedia’
Football fanatics and the Ehlanzeni ANC are saddened by the loss of Collence Silabela.
The region and the football fraternity are mourning the loss of Collence Silabela, who died on Friday evening, January 26, after a brief illness.
Silabela was the chairperson of the local organising committee (LOC) for the Selati Cup, and also doubled as the secretary of the ANC of Ward 8 in Steenbok.
He also served in the South African Football Association’s Ehlanzeni Region.
The Silabela family says it has lost a leader and a pillar.
“We are still in shock at the news of my brother’s passing. He was the pillar that kept us all together. He was a person who focused a lot on solutions and keeping the family together. His participation in community structures was an indication of the kind of person he was. He was very involved and genuinely loved to see things in order and community matters attended to,” said Nduna Dumisa Silabela.
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The Selati Cup LOC’s other secretary, Kenneth Phiri, says they have lost a football encyclopaedia.
“There will never be anyone like Collence. We have lost so much as a football fraternity in Nkomazi, and we are broken. Collence was a leader and a pioneer who made sure that our teams were not only organised, but proactive as well. It was through his intervention that so many teams in Nkomazi schools attained sponsorship from the National Lottery Commission, because Collence made sure that the schools and teams in Nkomazi organised themselves and he helped them with the administration needed to acquire sponsorship.”
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Phiri says the next Selati Cup period will not be the same without Collence.
“Collence was a teacher by profession who moved up the ranks through the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, where he passionately got learners to participate in road safety debates. He was generally a very passionate man who was patient enough to educate people because he cared about the community. The next Selati Games will not be the same without him, and we will miss him dearly.”
Details of Silabela’s funeral are still uncertain. “At this point nothing has been finalised, but we are hoping that the memorial service will be hosted in the Steenbok Community Hall on Thursday, and we anticipate his funeral to be in Steenbok on Saturday,” said Nduna.
