Thousands of mourners from different parts Limpopo attended the funeral of local soccer referee Mr Steward Mathekgane at Ravele on Saturday.
Mathekgane died last Monday at the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital after a short illness.
Mr Mpfariseni Musekwa, representing the Makhado Local Football Association, said the football family had lost one of its pillars, who had always been working hard towards the development of soccer. "The whole region was shocked when we heard of his untimely death." Musekwa said that the deceased was not participating in soccer for glory or money.
"Being a developer for other up-and-coming referees is very difficult, but Mathekgane was doing it while using his own resources, because he had a passion to develop his own young, rural boys," he said.
The man who mentored Mathekgane to become a soccer referee, Mr Khwara Madula, said the area had lost an icon in the soccer fraternity "who has made an enormous contribution in terms of developing and nurturing the talent of black people. We will remain celebrating his contribution of improving the lives of our people".
A family member, Mr Kenneth Malada, said the family members were in great pain after losing one of their beloved members. He said that Mathekgane had played a big role in uplifting the standard of soccer and education in the local community.