22 Feb 2015

Given how they entertain the nation during their short span as active athletes, Batswana should be doing more to take care of their sporting icons, Batlokwa royal Michael ‘Spokes’ Gaborone has said.

A football legend himself who played for Black Peril when ‘Muchacho’ were a top flight side that terrorised opposing sides, Gaborone made the impassioned plea as the legendary Nicholas ‘Lele’ Sebele was laid to rest on Saturday, February 21 in Gaborone.

“I have already spoken to a couple of people about setting up a fund to assist retired sporting greats. These legends work hard to entertain us and make our country proud, but when they retire from active sport we neglect them. In fact it is disheartening how some of them are struggling,” Gaborone said.

“Lele was incomparable in a generation that had the likes of Wonder Tlape, Horatio ‘Chippa’ Mahloane, Benjamin ‘Starring’ Segale and Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson at Gaborone United, the likes of Willie ‘Paymaster Jack’ Dennison at Notwane as well as Pro Morwalela and Clement ‘Captain Muller’ Muthelesi, where players had fancy nicknames like ‘Paperback’ and ‘Mthetho wa Bafana’ and played exciting football,” Gaborone said.

He described Sebele as having shown great composure and character on the field, and his discipline and dedication towards his sport made his talent flourish.

Ray Molomo, who could not attend the event, described Sebele as a wonderful person who contributed immensely to the development of football in Botswana.

In his eulogy read out to mourners by lifelong Gaborone United (GU) supporter, Gertrude Selolwane, Molomo noted that he served the Botswana Football Association (BFA) along with the likes of Cuthbert ‘CAR’ Motsepe and Peter Mmusi with Sebele being one of the outstanding players in the national league first division (later called the ‘super league’ and now the ‘premier league.’)

“He was one of the GU, Notwane and Township Rollers players we used when we put turf at the National Stadium,” Molomo said.

BFA president, Tebogo Sebego praised Sebele, saying he sacrificed his time for the development of the sport.

“He deserves his place in the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) Hall of Fame. We have lost a legend, but his memory lives on. GU is indeed a super team because it was built by great players like Lele, ” Sebego said.

Different speakers, including Tlape and businessman, Seabelo Tlhaselo described Sebele as having been a talented footballer, shining bright in the 1970s as a part of the GU side led by the late administrator, Willie ‘Pitla Pitla’ Seboni and later contributing as a coach and administrator.

Born on October 25 1945 in Serowe, Sebele schooled in Morwa, Mahalapye and Mochudi before working as a teacher in Ramotswa. 

He also worked for the Ministry of Education and ended up serving as the assistant director of sports in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs.

He played football for teams such as Maletamotse, Mokgosi Young Fighters and Mahalapye United Hotspurs. 

But it was his 1971-76 tenure at GU where he is most fondly remembered as well as his stint with the national team, Botswana XI (the Zebras).

Sebele would later become a coach, referee and a referee’s instructor, and served the BNSC as an administrator.

He suffered a stroke in 1999 which made him lose fitness for the final 15 years of his life. But this did not keep him from being involved in sport, as he contributed as the president of the Paralympics Association of Botswana (PASSOBO) in 2003.

In 2005 Sebele was conferred with the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service award by then President Festus Mogae. ENDS