Legendary sports journalist S’busiso Mseleku dies: 'He was a legend when it comes to football'

Legendary football writer S’busiso Mseleku has died aged 59 in a Johannesburg hospital.

Family spokesman Vincent Magwenya said Mseleku died in Midvaal Private Hospital in Vereeniging on Monday night from “a short Covid-19-related illness”.

Mseleku was a long-time sports editor of City Press‚ and previously a prominent football writer for Sowetan and Drum magazine.

Well-known City Press football writer Timothy Molobi‚ currently the Sunday newspaper’s editorial manager for news and sports‚ worked closely with Mseleku for a number of years.

“I worked with him since 2004 and we had great times together. He was the one who put City Press on the map for football‚” Molobi said on Tuesday morning.

“He was a legend when it comes to football. Long before our times he was there. He was someone I looked up to before I got into the industry‚ and it was an honour to have worked under him.

“We still expected a lot from him. I mean‚ he was still young.”

Close friend Duma Ndlovu‚ the filmmaker and producer and creator of popular SABC soapie Muvhango‚ told TimesLIVE: “South Africa has lost another giant to the cornavirus.

“S’bu’s life and work speaks for itself. And I think for me the message is that we as a country should take coronavirus very seriously‚ and observe all the protocols‚ because we should not be losing figures such as S’bu to this disease.”

Earlier Ndlovu posted on Facebook: “Last night I lost a dear friend‚ a brother and cousin. Sbu Mseleku‚ the veteran sports journalist succumbed to Covid -19 around 9pm last night and his family is still trying to come to terms with his passing.

“ … Mseleku‚ who grew up eMagabheni‚ in the South Coast near uMkhomazi‚ came to Johannesburg in the 80s after cutting his teeth in the journalistic fraternity in Durban where he had worked briefly for Ilanga laseNatali.

“In Johannesburg he worked for a number of publications including Drum and Sowetan but for the last few years worked for City Press where he rose to become Sports editor. He left City Press last year to form his own company‚ MSELEKU SPORTS.

“He is survived by a wife and five children.”

Magwenya said he would release a statement on behalf of the family soon.