WATCH: Mahii laid to rest

SCORES thronged Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo yesterday to pay their last respects to late football administrator Bheka “Mahii” Sibanda.

Sibanda collapsed and died last Saturday, he was aged 49.

He is survived by a wife and two daughters.The Bulawayo community turned up in numbers for the burial.Former players, leadership from both Arenel and Highlanders and the Bulawayo football and business community were in attendance.

Bosso fans lit up the occasion with some passionate singing at the cemetery in what was a befitting send-off.Sibanda’s contribution in sport and business is well documented hence the honour of a burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery.

The late Sibanda, a well-known Highlanders life member, was now vice-chairman at Premiership new boys, Arenel.

Over the years, Mahii as he was fondly known in football circles, had been assisting Bosso’s developmental sides and also helping ball boys with refreshments at matches. Sibanda’s passion for Highlanders was evident in his interest in holding a leadership positions in the executive.

Though he lost on both occasions he never wavered in being a Bosso benefactor, a feat which was praised by Highlanders board chairman Luke Mnkandla in a statement read on his behalf by Bosso board member, Elkanah Dube.

“I would like to offer our heartfelt condolence message to the Sibanda family. Sibanda has been a committed member of the Highlanders family. Sibanda was a passionate member of the club and of good standing over a significant number of years, starting as an ordinary member till he was a life member.

“This is a club process that requires dedication to the club ideals. As a person, Sibanda was unbelievably friendly, characterised by his ever infectious smile he had much respect for everyone particularly the elderly. He exercised humility at all times,” said Mnkandla.

Arenel Movers club president Handsome Ncube also had nothing but praise for the work done by Sibanda.“It’s unfortunate we did not have much time with him as Arenel but the little time we had with him he contributed greatly to the club.

He had plans for junior policy as well as setting up proper structures for our club. His departure is a great loss to us as a club as he had so many brilliant ideas for the club,” said Ncube.Sibanda ran a taxi in the late 1990s into the new millennium before venturing into bearings, industrial and mining hardware.
He was a people’s person, ever joking when in the company of his friends. — @innocentskizoe