FOOTBALL SHUNS UNIQUE ‘SALAS’ FUNERAL

MASIBINI – On and off the football pitch he was a true soldier that deserved recognition from the country’s football authorities.

A soldier by profession, the late Young Buffaloes’ striker Salebona ‘Salas’ Jele was on Sunday morning laid to rest at his parental home in Masibini. However, it did not look like football had an idea that a former national team, Sihlangu player had departed – five national caps he boasted the more or less 1 000 people that attended his funeral cemented his status. Football’s absence in the vigil and funeral was so conspicuous to the point  that it was embarrassing when both the National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) and PLS were no show despite being included in the programme.

“As it appears we have no one from the FA and PLS so our programme will go ahead and next up is a representative from Mbabane Swallows where he also played his football,” said the army Pastor and Programme Coordinator Thokozani Gamedze. Nonetheless, the snub did not deter the army from burying one of its own members in a respectable way, honouring him with three gunshots that were fired as his casket went down the grave, a two-minute moment of silence and a horn blown to see him off. The deceased had passed away just before Christmas after collapsing while at home, just the same way his father also died and left him with just his mother some years ago according to the speakers on the night. He was described as an orphan by his uncles following that his father also passed away a long time ago.

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