Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube,[email protected]
There were smiles and cheers at Sasedza Primary School in Tsholotsho District after former pupil and South Africa-based music manager Bahlanu “Sagqumo” Sibanda, who manages the popular band Insimbi ZeZhwane, donated a full soccer kit to the school.
Sibanda said the donation was a personal mission he had carried since his primary school days.
“Back in Grade Six, some donors from England asked us to write what the school needed. I wrote ‘soccer kits and balls’. Sadly, they never returned. So this donation is a dream come true for me,” he said.
The donation, which also included a brand-new soccer ball, was handed over during a special ceremony on Friday. Sibanda urged fellow former learners to give back to the schools that nurtured them.
“During our time, we played soccer in school uniforms. Sometimes we had to take off shirts to tell the teams apart. Today, I feel proud to see these kids kitted out properly,” he said.
Sasedza Primary is one of many rural schools that struggle with basic sporting equipment. Sibanda hopes the gesture will inspire a new generation of talent.
“Who knows? In a few years we might see stars rising from here. Tsholotsho has already given us great players like Joel Luphahla. The talent is there,” he said.
The school authorities and pupils expressed their gratitude, saying the donation would boost morale and participation in ball games.
