Programme Director;
The Madigage family;
The Premier of Limpopo, Cassel Mathale
MEC’s here present;
President and Members of SAFA, and all our football clubs present here;
All football players, veterans and all our sportspeople who are here to pay their last respect to this hero;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Boys and Girls;
On the 18 October 2012, a very cold and wet Thursday evening, a profound ‘tsunami and hurricane’ of death wiped Mr Thomas Madigage on one of our roads in Limpopo, the bells rang loudly in the streets of the Republic of South Africa; signalling the untimely fall of one of our own, Chincha Guluva Madigage. The noise of these ringing bells rang excruciately louder and made unbearable noise in the streets, the valleys, the mountains and the scenery of our beautiful signalling that the lion of the north, the Bafana Bafana Assistant Coach is no more.
I received endless calls from the citizens of our country and football loving people of our nation expressing their uncontrollable shock on the premature death of our hero. When I was finally called by media houses, filled with grief and anger I had this to say which I wish to repeat today at his funeral service:
“This morning I was saddened and shocked at the news that our assistant Bafana coach Thomas Madigage had lost his life in a tragic motor car accident last night. I want to express my sincere condolences to his immediate family and all who loved him, including the South African Football Association (SAFA).Thomas has been an exceptional South African who has contributed a great deal to the sporting landscape of our nation and football in particular”.
Since then our country has been engulfed by a dark cloud and atmosphere of grief especially for the sport loving people of the Republic, in particular the Madigage Family and SAFA.
We would like to take this opportunity to say ‘akwehlanga lungehlanga; kunje kuzo zonke iintlanga; lalani ngenxeba mzi ontsundu; kunje kuzozonke iizizwe, kunje kuzo zonke iintlanga; thuthuzelekani!’
Ladies and Gentlemen the passing-on of ‘Chincha Guluva’ has shocked the nation especially the government of the Republic of South Africa.This young man has been a torch-bearer of the dreams of millions of young South Africans who are still aspiring to be the best in the pool of the best. Thomas has been a mirror of hope to thousands of football fanatics’ especially young people who wanted to emulate his style and magic in the field of soccer in South Africa.His death did not only shock the democratic state but have also broken through the inner-soul of our nation, South Africa. In the midst of immense challenges faced by Bafana Bafana in the build up towards the Orange Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2013, the challenges faced by our sport system in general and football in particular it is not easy to accept such a premature death of Thomas and to loose skilled soccer veterans and role models at the younger ages is a cause for concern. When we are still looking forward at tapping in the rich history of knowledge and experience of this martyr; we loose him like the blink of an eye or a surprise lightning.
Thomas “Chincha Guluva” Madigage the bulwark of sport and recreation and a jewel of soccer football in the Republic of South Africa is no more.Chincha Guluva the lion of the North, a visionary, a soldier, a compatriot, a confidante of the South African national squad, Bafana Bafana, a Crown Jewel of the nation, a fighter till the end, a leader in his own right, a brother, uncle and a father have been robbed from us by a tragic car accident on Thursday night, 18 October 2012.His untimely tragic death has robbed the soccer loving people of South Africa the most sophisticated soccer tactician and strategist in the history of South African sport. Death be not proud!
As the Madigage family is currently perverted into a gasping moment; this tragedy inflicts a giant gash into the inner soul of our nation. It instils a sharp pain that penetrates the inner-end of our soccer loving people in South Africa until reaching the pinnacle of the organisation of SAFA and our nation.
Tommy was not an ordinary sportsman, he loved and lived sport.He imagined and dreamed sport. He played and practised sport. He perfected and excelled in soccer at the tender age of 16; and continued to share and transfer his knowledge and experience to the new generation of South African soccer stars until his death.
The chink-chunk wave of the ‘tsunami and hurricane of death’ that took place on that fateful day robbed us of our giant and extraordinary football veteran and a rocket of rocks; Thomas Madigage.
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 many of our friends, brothers and sisters from the sport fraternity.You did the same when you cowardly grabbed most of our successful and promising soccer players from our sight in recent years!
You thought we will evaporate when you robbed us of our veterans, Blessing “Killer” Mgidi and Steve Tshwete! You again thought so when you stole from us Ms Eudy Simelane a Banyana Banyana star! You were even determined when you hijacked Vincent Baartjies, Sizwe Motaung, Thabang Lebese, and many more from our midst! Even today, 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!
Hence today, we lowers our banners and flags to pay tribute to this son of the soil for his colossal contribution in the life of sport in South Africa and football in particular.His immense contribution in sport and recreation in general and Bafana Bafana in particular will not go unnoticed.
Even when he got injured in combat; he did not desert his compatriots instead, he assumed a new responsibility within combat to take the cause forward. He continued to use his skills to assist his compatriots to develop football further in South Africa. He will affectionately be remembered for the role he played as an assistant coach in the SuperSport when the club grabbed the Premier League title for three consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2010. Our people will continue to remember him as a longest serving assistant coach of the club.
When he was rewarded for his commitment to football and his immense experience, skills and attributes to the beautiful game and appointed as an assistance coach of our national team, death took him. The country will deeply remember him. He will be forever remembered by all soccer loving people of South Africa. Bafana Bafana will miss him. May his soul rest in peace!
Thank you.
Tribute by the Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), Honourable Mr Fikile Mbalula (MP), on the occasion of the funeral service of Mr Thomas Madigage, Sehlaku High School, Driekop, Burgersfort Republic of South Africa.28 October 2012
