All the best boy Skhokho!
Last week, my short holiday came to an end. Oh boy! What a great time I had although I returned to work with a twisted ankle having embarrassingly fallen headlong as I chased some naughty kids who sneaked into my yard to pinch guavas. They sold me dummies and made fun of my mishap.
A neighbour’s naughty dog called Bruno worsened my situation by sneaking into my yard and munched my bwan’noni that I had left in the sun to dry. Perhaps, it was part of the fun during my vacation.
After a busy schedule that included covering part of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, I guess it was only proper that I took a breather and it felt really good as the saying goes that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
But it will be like starting a new chapter without my colleague, little Gomezgani Zakazaka who started a new lease of life at FAM last week. For the past five years, little Gome, whom I fondly call ‘mfana’ or ‘Skhokho’ was more than a workmate to me. He was, and still is, my little brother and good pal.
Nevertheless, I am happy for the fella because he is still young and needs to face other challenges, the solace is that he will still be part of the sports fraternity.
My hope is that he will contribute towards the development of football at FAM where there is now resemblance of order. Refrigerators that used to be playing grounds for cockroaches, now stock one or two cold drinks. Unlike last time, when Fifa president Joseph Sepp Blatter was offered a glass of warm water, if he came now, he would be offered ‘zibonga’. One is also assured of a cup of tea although in a broken mug when you visit Chiwembe Technical Centre.
So, how will I remember ‘Skhokho’? Is it his naughty adventures such as when he irked me by putting salt instead of sugar in my cup of tea? Or is it his trademark South African ‘amapantsula’ dance whereby he bewitchingly shakes his waist? Or how we would connive to avoid paying the lady who provided us lunch at the office by sneaking through the car park gate? Glory be to God! Uloliwe.. Uloliwe wayidudula hi..Nang’esiza! [The train is pushing!]
