Daveyton in Benoni
has unearthed a myriad of sports players and personalities. Some have gone on
to achieve immensely in their chosen fields, while some have faded into
obscurity and notoriety while still in the prime of their disciplines. RAYMOND
CHILOANE has observed how fertile this region is with talented sports men and
women. So he runs Daveyton School of Soccer with a few other interested people. He told Thembi Masser of his
ambitions, of how parents’ lack of interest in the upbringing of their kids irks
him, of how the inane infighting among sports administrators hamper many sports
dreams, and of the authorities’ apathy towards his school.
The School of Soccer is run as a non-profit-making (NPO)
entity by Chiloane and four other personalities. While their noble idea would
receive plaudits elsewhere in the world, this group runs it without aid from
either the Ekurhuleni metropolitan authority or the provincial government. He is tired of nagging them; he shrugs,
because he has spent countless kilometers being sent from pillar to post in
their offices without much avail.
These men who run the school with him; Jones Malesoena, an
advocate, Peter Legodi, the coach, Abram Mohlamonyane, an entrepreneur and an
Unilever employee Freddie Mohlala, use their own private finances to run the
school. They do not have a corporate sponsor, even though they are in the
region dubbed ‘the workshop of Africa’, because it houses so many manufacturing
factories in one place. Ekurhuleni also boasts the biggest, busiest
international airport, the OR Tambo. Gauteng is where Africa’s money is
printed.
But they are lucky to have Raymond Chiloane, 38; he is a
hustler. He is nonchalant about their
appalling lack of finances. “The school will survive,” he asserts. He notes
that they have been operating from 2010 and more than 50 boys have gone through
their programmes. “I don’t see us stopping with our mission.”
He is passionate about the objectives of the school even
though so many obstacles stand steadfastly in their way. It costs the school in
the region of R2 500 to fund one 13 year-old in a year. “The most
disheartening thing has been the attitude of their parents. They have no
interest in what their children are ambitious about; they do not inquire about
their progress, they do not attend any meetings nor do they volunteer to help
around or raise funds for us.’
The schools’ objectives, among others, are to shape their
dreams and to hone the sporting prowess of these young people and, to develop
their life skills. This is a problem as well, because the school has no
qualified officers in this regard. Malesoena sometimes helps with advice from
time to time, “but this is not enough and scientific. It is thumb suck. It is
fun though to work with these young people, it is challenging. You need to
understand what they are doing and hoping to achieve.”
The kids are not consistent, however. They come and then
disappear for long periods, Chiloane complains. “Parents do not make sure that
kids keep attending throughout. These parents, when their children attend in
previously whites-only schools, adhere to every word in a sentence in the rules
and regulations instructions. But they give scant regard to black-led organisations
that seek to improve the lives of their kids.” He is adamant that the school
wants to see the lives of these kids take shape from as early as age 13. “These
kids have dreams; they need role models, they want more. If people like us do
not intervene these kids might end up as junkies or dropping out of school.” He
says the situation is so bad in areas like Daveyton. Parents have given up
parenting their children. “They just go through the motions of bringing their
children up; they have given up on them.”
Chiloane, after leaving school, worked as a cleaner at
hospitals. First at Sunshine and then Arwyp. Later he became a payroll
administrator. He attended Abenego Manana High in Daveyton where his love for
commercial subjects has come in handy when he is busy running the school of
soccer.
He says his heart bleeds for the kids. “We have no training
kit, not proper playing fields and our training equipment is ramshackle. Yet,
the Benoni and Springs Education Department play dirty politics when we want
their endorsement in arranging tournaments to honour past soccer legends in
order to draw attention to our situation.” He says luminaries like Aaron ”Shaka”
Nkosi, the former Benoni United mesmerising winger agreed to lend their names
to these tournaments but these football dragging bodies are only interested in petty
bickering.
Apart from Nkosi, the region has produced the likes of
Pollen Ndlanya who has played his soccer abroad, Isaac Shai who has won plenty
at Mamelodi Sundowns and Innocent Mayoyo played for almost all the Premier
Soccer League teams. The list is endless. On the other hand, talented players
like Junior Khanye, Jabu Mahlangu and Skapie Mahlatsi also mesmerised audiences
but fame dribbled their heads and before they could blossom they withered into
obscurity.
“Fame, unwarranted publicity and the inability to handle
money are a curse for players whose life skills are blunt.”
And here is Raymond Chiloane
And here is Raymond Chiloane
