Lesufi visits ill ex-Bafana boss Shakes Mashaba after care concerns at public hospital
‘The coach was sitting there without seeing a doctor for a day or two,’ says family spokesperson
Former Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba is not receiving the best medical care at a public hospital in Johannesburg where he is being treated for a suspected bladder infection, a family spokesperson has said.
Sithembele Khala, speaking on behalf of the Mashaba family, said in an interview on Radio 2000 on Monday night the 74-year-old Orlando Pirates legend was not doing well after he was admitted to Helen Joseph Hospital in Auckland Park last week due to difficulty urinating.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for sport Matome Chiloane visited Mashaba on Tuesday, and TimesLIVE understands the care the former coach received improved after that.
“The coach is not doing well, but he is much better than when he got into hospital,” Khala said on Monday night.
“He has been diagnosed with a problematic bladder but they are not specific about what exactly is wrong with it. He could not pee and they had to give him a catheter, but they have since removed it.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi speaking after visiting former Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba in hospital.
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“The first time he was in hospital was on January 25 after he collapsed at home. He was taken to hospital and observed overnight and he was discharged on in the early morning of January 26.
“Then on January 27 he was really bad and he was rushed to hospital again. His tongue was swollen and closing the airways. He has been in hospital since the January 27.”
Asked if the coach was receiving good care, Khala responded: “Not so much. Remember this is a public hospital and it has got its own pressures and the coach was sitting there without seeing a doctor for a day or two.
“When he eventually saw a doctor, he was given a half-diagnosis. They said he could be put on a catheter, which they did and then when they removed it the doctor didn’t come.
“He sent an instruction that it must be removed and he was fine for about an hour and after that he could not pee again.”
Lesufi and Chiloane visited Mashaba on Tuesday.
“I dropped literally everything to come and see him. To me this is very important, if a national icon will entrust his life to us as government,” Lesufi told SABC Sport, in a video posted on X.
“I felt, let me see everything is fine and proper. And I’m really impressed with the manner in which the hospital have handled the matter and also how he is recovering.
“He’s in a jolly mood — he appreciated our presence and visit and felt touched we came to visit him.
“The treatment we have just provided [costs] almost R100,000, free of charge from the government — not because it’s him but because we do this for everyone.
“And I wanted to thank Safa [the South African Football Association] for also sending a delegation.”
After Lesufi and Chiloane's visit, TimesLIVE understands the former Bafana coach was moved to a private ward and has received improved treatment.
Mashaba was inducted into the South African Hall of Fame in November with Jomo Sono, Neil Tovey, Lucas Radebe, Banyana Banyana coach Dr Desiree Ellis, the late Patrick ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe and Nelson ‘Teenage’ Dladla.
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