Former Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba 'touched' by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi's hospital visit

Former Bafana Bafana head coach Shakes Mashaba was touched and in a jolly mood following Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s visit in hospital on Tuesday.

Mashaba is currently at Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital where is receiving care for a suspected bladder infection.

Earlier in the week, Mashaba’s family expressed disappointment and frustration after he had gone days without being seen by doctors at the Auckland Park hospital.

“He was admitted on the 27th of January. He was very bad. His tongue was swollen and closed the airways. The care is not good. Remember, this is a public hospital, so it has its own challenges. The coach didn’t see a doctor for a day or two,” a family spokesperson said in a Radio 2000 interview.

After the story about Mashaba went public, Premier Lesufi decided to pay the ex-Bafana boss a visit.

“I dropped everything to come and see him. If a national icon would entrust his life to us as government, I felt [I needed] to make sure everything is fine. I’m really impressed with the way the hospital has handled the matter, and the manner in which he is recovering,” the Premier said when speaking to SABC Sport.

“He’s in a jolly mood. He appreciated our presence. He felt touched that we came to see him. It is national icons like this that must be our messengers on the work that we are doing. The treatment that we have just provided is almost over R100,000, but has been provided free of charge by government. Not because it’s him, but because we do this to everyone.”

In his playing days in the 1970s, Mashaba turned out for Orlando Pirates and later for Moroka Swallows, a club that Lesufi supported and later owned.

Mashaba was at the helm of Bafana Bafana from 2002 to 2004, and again between 2014 and 2016. His last job in football was with Witbank Aces, and he has not worked in the sport since leaving the club in 2019.

IOL Sport