TEAMS SHOULD RESCUE POVERTY-HIT EX-FOOTBALLERS

Sir,

I wish to take this opportunity to convey my sincere thanks to the patrons of Mbabane Highlanders Football Club for finally allowing sanity to prevail by seeing to it that the team’s former legends (players) are catered for and will be presented with monthly groceries for the next couple of years.
I remember a few years back, in one of my letters to the editor, I raised this issue of teams forsaking their former players who raised the teams’ flags to unbelievable heights during the years gone by, and who are living in abject poverty, without anyone bothering to make a follow up as to how life after soccer is treating them.

suggested benefit
I even suggested benefit games as a thank-you gesture for the legends who filled stadiums to the rafters with their sublime, intricate and God-given natural talents.

How I miss those days, where soccer was not commercialised, and yesteryear players showcased their talents for free and just for the love of the game.
Sadly, many of these former stars are living in abject poverty and barely have food to sustain them through a day.
Thumbs up to Marwick Khumalo and his counterparts in the Mbabane Highlanders hierarchy for coming up with this noble idea. It is never too late to give.

food parcels
Coming to the food parcels, I wish to say thumbs up. Can I go a step further and suggest something? Take the case of one Elwell ‘Cutter’ Mamba.

What a versatile and no- nonsense defender during his days!
Him and Scara Gama were a marvel to watch when their teams battled it out at Swaziland’s soccer mecca - Somhlolo National Stadium. Most fans parted with their last penny just to marvel at the duel of the two! Sadly...life has not been kind to many of our legends.

Take a drive down to the lush and green valleys of Northern Hhohho and look for a sparse and barren place called Zibonele - Elwell “Cutter” Mamba’s home area. If you are the sensitive type, tears will well in your eyes to observe what he calls his place of abode.
Here is a man, and many others, who gave their all, entertaining thousands but living in such abject and heartrending poverty.
You see, in this troubled and broken world, we are faced with many of life’s adversaries. Some of us make through with little effort; others have to sweat and toil for success. Then there is the just unfortunate of our humanity, who, no matter how hard they try, things just don’t work out. It is the latter who need our help.
 
this category

 I believe ‘Cutter’ falls in this category. He paid his dues on society by utilising his God-given talents to entertain others.
Food parcels are fine, but for the likes of  Mamba and others, a modest roof over their heads can go a long way in bringing a smile to poverty-ravaged and sickly faces.
I am throwing the gauntlet to all concerned to look into this issue and bring smiles to the faces of our yesteryear heroes.
Is it asking for too much Nkunzemnyama?

Alex Lucky Nxumalo 268 76058449

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