“WAAR kry jy die moegoe met rooi klere?” some snoopy patrons gathered at a popular Soweto shebeen enquired of a renowned soccer figure.
The subject of ridicule had rocked up donning a maroon velvet suit – attire considered the preserve of bumpkins, definitely not for city sleekers!
The man in question had moved to the City of Gold from the rural Transvaal dorpie of Potchefstroom, where he had previously eked out a living for a business owned by heavyweight rugby supremo, Louis Luyt.
Like his erstwhile boss, he was in due course, destined to assume the mantle of another beloved sporting code in South Africa, viz, soccer.
Rising through the ranks owing to a reputable administrative acumen combined with passion for the “game of billions”, the man would ascend to the top of the pile whilst outsmarting the likes of ageing administrators such as George Thabe – and ultimately unify the various racially segregated football associations en-route to transforming the local game to the standards of other footballing nations pending his tenure helming the South African Football Association from re-admission in the early 90s and onto his ousting based on the findings of the Pickard Commission.
These anecdotes are contained in a newly launched paperback tome compiled by veteran journalist, Sello Rabothata, titled, Solomon “Stix” Morewa: The Rise & Fall.
Although attributed to the erstwhile Sowetan Sport Editor, other fellow journalists accorded credit for the publication are mentioned as Nomvula Khalo and Ali Mphaki. Khalo conducted most of the interviews of various renowned figures featured in the book whilst, Mphaki assisted with the editing of the final manuscript.
A pseudo memoir at face value Rabothata’s product is written in the format of recollections of Morewa by interviewees Khalo engaged over a period of time before the culmination of the project into the book it ultimately became.
A plethora of anecdotes shared emanate from figures such as then Transkei strongman, Bantu Holomisa, who offers that his acquaintance with ‘Bra Stix’ extended to him hosting the latter’s son, Bobby, whilst he studied law at the then Unitra (University of Transkei); Stix’ then SAFA’s PA, Pinky Lehoko, who let in regarding her boss’ genuine caring for the SAFA staff and families (he’d usually hire a kombi for their kids to attend big games); seasoned journalist, Thomas Kwenaite, sharing Morewa’s claim to had once played for Orlando Pirates and fans of the club dissuading the technical team from bringing him on as a substitute because, owing to his being light-skinned they mistook him for a White player: “not that Boer boy, put in Jomo Sono!”, and so forth.
Rabothata’s offering portrays a sharply-dressed figure who helmed football pending the brief era SAFA’s main brand, Bafana Bafana, gave working class folk respite from their 9-to-5 existences; a former Robben Island prisoner who went for curry dishes at Abdul Bhamjee’s mum’s place on Fridays; loved devouring chicken as well a taste for gin & tonic.
A man who amalgamated grassroots soccer across the country and shifted soccer from being ran from boots of cars to the multi-million brand attracting sponsors. A reputable visionary who ultimately fell from grace over the matter of a half a million rand sum the Pickard Commission instituted under the presidency of Nelson Mandela to enquire into the dodgy affairs of the association he helmed – which led to his banishment from the glitz of the game.
Accompanied by images sourced from the Morewa and Matseke (Stix’s friend and founder of the Clinix Health Group, Dr Kop Matseke) – the book has been made available by MFH Publishers and retails for R300.
Image (Solomon “Stix” Morewa: The Rise & Fall).
