No dull moment with Figo around
Soccer writer lays down mighty pen
Veteran journalists whose careers crisscrossed that of Louis Mazibuko‚ the legendary football writer who died on Wednesday aged 69‚ described his eternally playful sense of humour‚ and lauded his contribution to the trade.
Mazibuko‚ popularly nicknamed “Figo” by his friends and colleagues‚ died in hospital on Wednesday. The Soweto resident had enjoyed a decades-long career for newspapers including Rand Daily Mail‚ Sunday Times‚ Sunday World and Sowetan.
Author and literary journalist Don Makatile worked with Mazibuko at Sunday World and Sowetan. He said for those who knew him‚ his friendly spirit‚ mischievous humour and permanent smile, they will remember the scribe’s contribution to South African football journalism.
“I first met him as a newspaper reader‚” Makatile said. “He wrote boxing and soccer. He wrote about our sporting heroes. Long before I could even think of a career in journalism his name was among those already in my head.
“And Louis comes from that generation of sports writers – the guys he worked with at the Sunday Times. Remember, he comes from the generation of Rand Daily Mail.
“They did the Sunday Times Extra – the wraparound‚ with sports at Orlando Stadium and wherever the game was played. Figo was as colourful as the personalities he wrote about. If you think about someone like Abdul Bhamjee‚ a very larger-than-life character – even if you had not met Bhamjee in person‚ he would come alive in Louis’s words.
“He was very close with Kaizer Motaung‚ with Jomo Sono. These are the people he socialised with. That is why it was so easy for Figo to get those stories that wannabe scribes would only dream of. He was friends with [legendary journalist] Doc Bikitsha‚ who came a generation before him and worked with him. I don’t expect a museum to be created in his memory. But let no-one forget Figo’s contribution to South African football.”
Legendary football writer Sy Lerman‚ who started his career in the early 1960s, helped show a young Mazibuko the ropes of the trade at Rand Daily Mail in the 1970s and later worked with him at
Sunday Times in the 1980s and 1990s. “I worked with him for many years. In fact I’ve got a very interesting photo of him‚ Kaizer Motaung and myself at Orlando Stadium which must have been taken about 30 years ago‚” Lerman said.
“He was quite a character‚ Louis. A very sweet‚ likeable person and a very good guy. Nothing made him upset. Rand Daily Mail had a township edition that Louis wrote for‚ which had almost completely football‚ whereas the main edition had a balance of cricket‚ rugby and soccer.
“He was starting out then‚ and in the game for just a few years. If anything, he always wanted to please. As a journalist he wouldn’t like to be controversial if he could help it. He was one of those nice guys.”
Mazibuko’s long-time sports editor and colleague at Sowetan‚ Sello Rabothata‚ said: “It was with great sadness to learn of Louis Mazibuko’s passing. While it was known that he’s not been well for quite some time‚ it still came as a shock, especially since we buried his wife‚ Monica‚ not so long ago.
“One thing he had going for him was that he had the contacts that made our publication as great as it was and‚ I may add‚ respected.
“With Louis, there was never a dull moment and he always had the newsroom in stitches whenever he walked in. He also took pride in telling whoever cared to listen that Orlando Pirates boss Irvin Khoza was his neighbour in Diepkloof.”
Mazibuko’s daughter‚ Zozo‚ said he died in Mulberton Hospital in Alberton after his illness became serious. Monica died in August last year.
Funeral plans are still to be decided by the family.