Programme Director
Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr. G. Oostuizen
Premier of the Eastern Cape Province, Ms Kieviet
MEC of Sport and Recreation in the Eastern Cape, Ms Tom
President of South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), Mr. Gideon Sam
President of SA Rugby Union (SARU), Mr. Hoskins
Director General: Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), Mr. A Moemi
All players and athletes present here this afternoon
Distinguished Mourners
Ladies and Gentlemen
On Sunday, 13 November 2011, the Post Rang in the fields, valleys and mountains of the Republic of South Africa. The ringing Post was to inform all the citizens of the Republic that Solly Tyibilka have been cowardly removed from society permanently by a group of unresolved individuals.
On this Bright Day in the Province of the Western Cape became a Dark Day for the sport loving people of the Republic, especially the Tyibilika Family and Friends.
Enjoying his peaceful Sunday in the supposedly peaceful place, Comrade Solly Tyibilika was targeted by unscrupulous and low-level personalities in our society that always disregard any good from any individual. They, in their resolve, infringed our people and Solly included of their birth right to a peaceful leisure and recreation, watching Sport Actions on Television and enjoying music to loosen the stresses of society, decided to pump them with bullets for a reason that is not known by anyone in our community.
As you already know by now, on Sunday, 13 November 2011 the South African Sporting Community and the country at large lost one of the greatest sons of our soil, when Solomon Tyibilika met his untimely death at the hands of unidentified gunmen at New Crossroads in Cape Town.
Solly, as Solomon Tyibilika was affectionately known, was a trailblazer among black African Springboks who had won eight Test caps between 2004 and 2006 as a Springbok flanker. Having been born in Port Elizabeth thirty two years ago, he first played rugby at Loyiso High School in the Zwide Township and made his professional debut for the Griquas in 2001 before moving on to the Lions and Sharks.
He made his Test debut in 2004 against Scotland in Edinburgh, earning the distinction of scoring a try on his first appearance to achieve the significant milestone in rugby history of becoming the first black African to score a Test try for the Springboks.
But on that fateful Sunday former Springbok player, Solly Tyibilika, was shot dead in Cape Town. It is said that he was gunned down in a gangland-style hit shortly after entering the House in New Crossroads township in Gugulethu.
According to reports, three armed assassins walked-up behind Solly as he sat drinking his cool drink in the back yard of the Tavern with his friends. In dismay, the patrons heard gunshots, and Solly was injured and died on the spot. This murder was dubbed by the community a ‘clear hit’ at the time when Solly was revealing his dismay with the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and its leadership.
The Patrons, even the Tavern Owner, reveals that this was not a ‘normal robbery because the assassins left all other Patrons alive and killed Solly; and there was no conversation between Solly and the Assassins; but they just shot him. A man of integrity and note is no more!
Owing to his stature and the historical, ground breaking role which Tyibilika played in the life of the Rugby game in our country, the Ministry of Sport & Recreation South Africa, directed that Tyibilika be sent off with the necessary respect, stature and decorum worthy of a national asset he has truly been in his short-lived life.
For that reason, a funeral preparatory was formed to oversee the arrangements for Solly Tyibilika’s funeral comprising of representatives from Sport & Recreation South Africa, the Rugby Association, Community Leaders and family representatives. This situation is unacceptable, we can’t continue to burry our sports men and women as if they did not contribute into the wellbeing of our society. Really something needs to be done.
For an example a soldier who died in a war situation and in the conduct of war; or a soldier participated in the conduct of war on behalf of his/her country is bestowed an accolade of a warrior with benefits. Why our black sport warriors are to be laid to rest in a manner that does not befit their accolade.
I would like to call this afternoon on the democratic state and private sector to provide all our national sport heroes and heroines, especially those who participated in our International Battles with national colours and benefit in the same way as our soldiers who defended the sovereignty of the Republic. We do this because we need to show the same care and passion towards those who made what we are today, South Africans.
Our fellow players and athletes must not die begging whilst their sporting white counterparts die fundraising and making millions for their families and friends. This must not be an unfair society. Something needs to be done urgently!
Ladies and Gentlemen, when the Post Rang in the form of Fire Power coupled with the Fire Powder; a profound ‘tsunami and hurricane’ of death wiped the streets, the valleys, the mountains and the scenery of our country especially in Gugulethu, and KTC as well as New Cross Roads and Nyanga East of the City of Cape Town reaching the City of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and ultimately the entire South African nation.
Barely few days before the national sport and recreation Indaba where issues of sport and recreation where to be considered and discussed, including the socio-economic living conditions of our athletes and players were to be discussed; our fellow compatriots was robbed of his right to participate in the Indaba to share his experience in the life of sport and recreation in our country.
Being bullet ridden, Solly body-component became breathless; his flesh and blood succumbed to the paranormal of careless souls. As that act took place a mystical impale of icebergs cut through the soul of our nation.
Once again our nation is called upon to lower its banners to pay homage and last respect toa sportsman, an athlete, cadre, comrade, a friend, and a brother.
As we pay tribute to Solly Tyibilika in recognition of his immense sacrifice and contribution in the arena of sport and recreation in the Republic especially in Rugby, we are reminded by his impeccable life story that he remains one of the finest and most seasoned sportsman in our country that made us proud when he scored the Try against Scotland in the match between the Springboks and Scottish. A disciplined and dedicated South African sportsman, a young sports fellow of note, an astute tackler of the 21st Century and an eloquent communicator of the rights of sports men and women in the age of globalised sport and recreation.
Till his last breath, Comrade Tyibilika remained a Springbok, a fighter for the rights of all sport men and women; Solly was baptized in the dusty streets of the Eastern Cape and in the revolutionary fires of our struggle for national liberation and social emancipation.
A great youth leader of his generation and a tireless rugby player and fanatic till the end, bred among the brave young lions in the Rugby circles of the Eastern Cape Province! Equal to the challenges of his time, he occupied the centre stage of our sport and recreation in the late nineties and early 2000 in response to the call by our democratic government to open all opportunities for participation in sport and recreation at all levels of participation.
His unwavering commitment to a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic sport system for all propelled him to become a ‘torch bearer’ of the struggle for “No Normal Sport in the Abnormal Society”. He became a front runner in the struggle to put a black face in the Rugby national squad. It is proceeds of his undying, combatant spirit that ushered a free, single, non-racial, non-sexist, united and democratic sport and recreation system in South Africa.
It is befitting for us to re-iterate as we did before that Death! You think that South Africa and Africa will balk and cringe? You think that we will shrink and squirm in the face of crevice? You thought so when you stole our brother and comrade Chris Hani from us! You did the same when you cowardly grabbed the Pillar of the ANC Walter Sisulu from our sight!
You thought we will evaporate when you robbed us of our veteran and father of the ANC, Oliver Reginald Tambo! You again thought so when you stole Steve Tshwete from us!You were even determined when you hijacked Vernie Peterson our Director-General and many more from our midst! You still think we will fall apart and become no people?
You forget that for decades we’ve dealt with and defeated many enemies including death itself? You can’t clunk and clink us no more! We are a people with a deep sense of spirit and spume!
Today again, death makes us a nation and a people carrying a profound lumber of grief; refusing to be tranquilled. Our spirit has been sunken under excruciating credence of an astonishing and anesthetizing shock. We are dripping silent tears of desperation and anguish; watering our faces and those of the Republic. Hence the continued vivid vindicated mournful cries of the bereaved family and friends still echoed within our inner most being.
The one who loved his country, his sport and his people is no more! South Africa pays homage in gratitude for his colossal contribution to the struggle for the a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous sport system reminded by his immaculate verve story that he vestiges one of the deluxe and most seasoned players of our nation, the Republic of South Africa.
May his soul rest in peace!
Thank you.
