HUNDREDS of mourners gathered at Lady Stanley Cemetery to pay their last respects to the late Highlanders chief executive officer Sihlangu Dlodlo whose body was found lifeless at his Nketa 9 house in Bulawayo on Monday evening.
His burial was attended by sports administrators from across the country, members of the business fraternity and arts industry in Bulawayo.
The burial was also attended by Nicholas Moyo, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube and deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Paul Damasane.
Speaker after speaker spoke highly of Dlodlo, who died at 60.
Speaking on behalf of the Dlodlo family, Damasane had so much praise for the late Highlanders chief.
"Swings have broken down while children were still playing. This is what has befallen us. But then those that discovered his lifeless body, found him not donning the Highlanders jersey because Highlanders supporters never die; only the people die. The supporters live on forever. Sihlangu was a man who was bigger and greater in stature of heart than most of us in the Dlodlo clan. He had a demeanour that made him a dear brother, a loving father, favourite uncle in the Mpangazitha clan. He was a mentor and friend not just to his own children but to every child that answered to the Dlodlo name," he said.
Highlanders board chairman Luke Mkandla said Dlodlo's demise was a big loss to Highlanders.
"The secretariat was under him. When I spoke to them, one of them said to me: Dlodlo had developed a wonderful kind of harmony in the office. No worker feels better than the other. You can imagine how I feel as a leader when such a person has departed. It's all lost, I hope that harmony that he planted will grow and propagate.
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"Today we gather again barely a few weeks after laying to rest our all weather benefactor Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube. We bid farewell to yet another remarkable individual within the club family, Sihlangu Dlodlo, the club's chief executive officer. He has left an indelible mark on our football club and community. He was more than just a CEO at the club. He was a proven visionary leader with a distinguished track record spanning many years," Mnkandla said.
Highlanders captain Ariel Sibanda had this to say: "As we mourn the loss of our CEO let us also celebrate the incredible life he lived. Let us honour his memory, the values and the principles that he instilled in all of us. Rest in peace our CEO. We will always hold you special in hour hearts."
At the burial were representatives from Premier Soccer League clubs.
Club sponsors Sakunda Holdings and Betterbrands and other business partners were represented.
Dlodlo, a football administrator, former referee, educator, marketing specialist, farmer and businessman, is survived by wife Nokuthula and three children, two sons and a daughter.
