Hero’s send-off for Bosso CEO

Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
HUNDREDS of mourners gathered at Lady Stanley Cemetery to pay their last respects to Sihlangu Dlodlo, the late Highlanders chief executive officer, whose lifeless body was discovered at his Nketa 9 residence in Bulawayo on Monday evening.

The funeral service, attended by prominent figures from the sports, business, and arts fraternity including Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Judith Ncube and Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Paul Damasane, was a testament to Dlodlo’s profound impact on the community.

Minister Ncube expressed her deep sorrow following the passing on of Dlodlo.

Sihlangu-Dlodlo

“We were supposed to have a meeting on Monday but, unfortunately, it’s on the same day he passed on. Some of the things we talked about was how the club was losing revenue to match-day expenses. Dlodlo talked about how the team is losing players to other teams. President Emmerson Mnangagwa also asked me to send his condolence message to the Dlodlo family,” said Minister Ncube.

Damasane, spoke highly of Dlodlo, describing him as a man with a heart bigger than most, who left an indelible mark on the Dlodlo clan.

“Swings have broken down while children were still playing. This is what has befallen us. But then those that discovered his lifeless body, they found him not donning the Highlanders jersey because Highlanders supporters never die; only the people die. The supporters live on forever. Sihlangu was a man who was bigger and greater in stature of heart than most of us in the Dlodlo clan. He had a demeanour that made him a dear brother, a loving father, favourite uncle in the Mpangazitha clan. He was a mentor and friend not just to his own children but to every child that answered to the Dlodlo name,” said Damasane.

Highlanders board chairman, Luke Mnkandla, echoed this sentiment, praising Dlodlo’s visionary leadership and the harmony he fostered within the club “The secretariat was under him, when I spoke to them, one of them said to me: Dlodlo had developed a wonderful kind of harmony in the office.

No worker feels better than the other. You can imagine how I feel as a leader when such a person has departed. It’s all lost, I hope that harmony that he planted will grow. Today we gather again barely a few weeks after laying to rest our all-weather benefactor Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube to bid farewell to yet another remarkable individual within the club family Sihlangu Dlodlo, the club’s chief executive officer. He has left an indelible mark on our football club and community. He was more than just a CEO at the club. He was a proven visionary leader with a distinguished track record spanning many years,” Mnkandla said.

The late Cde Tshinga Dube

Highlanders captain, Ariel Sibanda, urged those in attendance to celebrate Dlodlo’s life and honour his memory, values and principles.
The funeral was also attended by representatives from Premier Soccer League clubs, sponsors Sakunda Holdings and Better Brands, and other business partners.

Dlodlo, a multi-talented individual with expertise in football administration, refereeing, education, marketing, farming and arts business, is survived by his wife, Nokuthula and three children.

His legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire and influence the future of the club.