‘KOKI’ BRAINS BEHIND CHARITY CUP - EPTC

MBABANE – A great sportsman is gone!

Former Mbabane Highlanders, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers head coach Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati was the brains behind the establishment of the popular and season-opening EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup.

This transpired yesterday at the Mbabane Alliance Church during the deceased’s well-attended memorial service. Speaking on behalf of the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) Managing Director (MD) Petros Dlamini, was Senior Manager Amon Dlamini.

The MD’s representative, in his brief address during the memorial service, reflected back when Vilakati joined the company in April 1990. He said this meant the corporation had lost a great asset in Vilakati, due to the fact that he was highly experienced considering the fact that he had been with EPTC for over 30 years before his demise.

Amon told mourners during the function that as EPTC, they would mostly remember Vilakati for the EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup. “He was part of the core team that was used to establish the EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup because of his expertise in football,” said the manager.

Nation

He said the entire nation had suffered a huge loss in the death of their former employee, whom he said was promoted to a number of senior positions since joining the company until his death.

Giving a breakdown of Vilakati’s employment record at the EPTC, the manager said he was just a clerical officer when he joined them in 1990. Amon said in 1997, due to his work ethic and dedication, the company saw it fit to promote Vilakati to a senior clerical officer. From there, he was promoted to personnel officer, then safety and access control officer and finally was placed in charge of his department in 2010 when he was elevated to the most senior position – access control officer.

Amon said they were shocked to learn of Vilakati’s death as they knew that he was a fit and lively person. For his other attributes, the manager described Vilakati as sociable but had a firm hand, in a good way though.

Meanwhile, an emotional Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula, who was also a close friend to Vilakati from a tender age as they both played for Highlanders’ development side, said Vilakati was up for a big move in his football career. “Koki was shortlisted for the Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivihandila (TMT) coaching job,” said the chairman.

This is the Limpopo-based outfit that was recently reported to have purchased the Premier Soccer League status of Bidvest Wits. 

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