Ailing former Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba was honoured for his lifetime contribution to South African football at a Legacy Fundraising Gala Dinner on Friday night, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula delivering the keynote address.
The gala, held to celebrate Mashaba’s immense contribution to the game and to raise funds to support his enduring legacy, comes months after it emerged that the veteran coach, now in his 70s, is battling a serious illness largely on his own with his family.
Mbalula said the event was deliberately held while Mashaba could still hear the nation’s gratitude.
“Tonight, I delivered a keynote address at Coach Shakes Mashaba’s Legacy Fundraising Gala Dinner, an evening dedicated to honouring his immense contribution to South African football and supporting the enduring legacy he continues to build,” Mbalula said.
“For more than half a century, Coach Mashaba has served this nation with dignity, discipline and unwavering devotion, a true patriot whose life and work have left an indelible mark on South African sport and society.”
Mbalula said South Africa has a habit of honouring its heroes only after they are gone.
“Too often we sing the accolades and reflect on the achievements of a patriot when they pass and can no longer hear our words waxed with lyrical prose and promises to carry on their legacy. Today, we give Bra Shakes his flowers when he can still hear us,” he said.
He reflected on Mashaba’s long journey from the narrow walls of apartheid football to leading the national team against the odds.
“Earlier this year, this nation learned that Coach Shakes Mashaba, now in his 70s, was fighting a serious illness and that he and his family were carrying that fight largely on their own.
“He fought the narrow walls of apartheid football. He fought the doubters in 2014. He fought for every young player that others had overlooked. And now he is fighting again. Our task tonight is simple: he must not fight alone,” Mbalula said.
Mashaba, affectionately known as Bra Shakes, is one of the most decorated coaches in South African football history, having coached at every level from development football to the senior national team, and is renowned for his fierce belief in local talent and discipline.
The tribute comes as former players rally behind him.
Former Bafana Bafana defender Thabiso Rammile has paid a moving tribute to the coach, crediting him for shaping his career and calling for his continued involvement in the game.
Rammile, who played under Mashaba in the South African Under-23 side, said Mashaba backed him when no one else would, selecting him despite being the only player in the squad plying his trade in the First Division.
“I am who I am and have achieved what I have achieved in my football career because of Bra Shakes,” Rammile said in an interview with Soccer Laduma.
“I wish him everything of the best, and I would like to see him back on his feet and doing what he does best, which is getting involved in football and producing footballers.”
Rammile said South Africa still needs Mashaba, particularly for his ability to identify and develop young players overlooked by the system.
Mashaba’s health struggles earlier this year shocked the football fraternity, prompting calls for the state and football stakeholders to support coaches who served the nation without accumulating wealth.
Friday’s gala was aimed at answering that call, with organisers saying proceeds will go towards supporting Mashaba’s medical needs and cementing his coaching legacy through development programs.