Legendary coach and founder of social club dies

Hundreds of people from all corners of the Vhembe District and as far as Gauteng paid their last respects to Samuel Tshitahe (62), the former chairperson of the Dam Site Social Club and founder of the Thavha Thavha Soccer Club, during his funeral at the CWC Church in Maniini village on Saturday.

Tshitahe passed away on Thursday, 11 July, at his home after a long illness. He leaves behind his wife, Ms Thilivhali Victoria Tshitahe, children, and grandchildren.

Born and raised in Mbaleni village near Thohoyandou, Tshitahe joined the then Venda Defence Force in 1985. After completing his training, he was stationed at the former Manenu Battalion near Tshilamba and later served in Namibia (then known as South West Africa). Upon returning to South Africa, he was stationed at 15 SAI Battalion in Vuwani. He retired from the SANDF in 2022 and spent much of his time coaching young soccer players.

Mr Prince Nemalamangwa, the current chairperson of the Dam Site Social Club, explained how the club started around 2010 in Thohoyandou Block G, F, and Hamagidi. “It started with a few men who gathered every Sunday to cook meals and eat together. One of the rules of the social club was that no women were allowed to attend the men's gatherings. He taught us that feathers must be separated from the chicken, and they must not be scattered but placed in the bin and later destroyed. This is where we started seeing the cleanliness that Tshitahe learned from his work as a soldier,” he said.

Nemalamangwa said that Tshitahe had taught them certain disciplines and instilled a sense of pride among the men. The social club went from strength to strength and even caught the attention of regional and national media. The club members won a prize in a competition organized by Phalaphala FM for the way they cooked their “Mukokoroshi.”

When some of the club members proposed opening a savings account to set aside money for the festive season, the late Tshitahe eagerly supported the idea. The savings scheme is still ongoing, and the men use the account to put away some money for “a rainy day.”

Date:25 July 2024

By: Silas Nduvheni

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