You are now a man, my brother Jabu

HE has been to hell and back. He has been down in the dumps. He has lived his life with a devil-may-care attitude.

The shenanigans made for screaming headlines.

But what matters today is that Jabu has found his way back to life, back to reality.

He has swum in a fire-pool of alcohol and drowned in the decadence of drugs.

He messed up many a time, was given a lifeline each time he fell off the rails, only to derail again after spitting at yet another umpteenth chance.

But what matters today is that Jeremiah, a husband and father, is not in denial about his demons. He has found the strength to grab the devil by the horns and throw him in the furnace that almost destroyed his soul.

His previous wayward ways happened when he was a twinkle-toed, wet-behind-the-ears boy who propelled himself into the psyche of the nation through his supreme skills with the pigskin at his feet.

Pace. Poise. Panache. Chutzpah. Sublime silky skills — you name it, Jabu Jeremiah Pule (now Mahlangu) was blessed with it in abundance.

I testify that the creator was in a good mood when he created Jabu, generously providing him with the same dose of magic as Ronaldinho.

This column is not an ode to Mr Mahlangu’s topsy-turvy history.

Rather, this is a salutation of his stubborn spirit that refused to perish or vanish into a dust of nothingness.

My eyes got wet when watching Mahlangu warming-up with his SuperSport United teammates on Wednesday night. He really is serious about writing a new chapter in his life.

This time a good chapter, one that contains the story of a motivational speaker who visits schools to tell children to focus on their education and keep their feet on the ground.

This new chapter speaks of a man determined to become an exemplary father to his children.

He has put himself forward publicly as an open book of how not to mess up. It takes a man to do that and, by doing the things he is doing now, Mahlangu is reclaiming his place in society as a man among men.

Whereas in the past he rebelled against authority, he is now a rebel with a cause.

Some may point at how many years he has wasted. Where could he be today had he stayed on the straight and narrow?

But soul-searching and selfintrospection have no deadline.

It is an infinite journey with neither a beginning nor an ending.

Some are lucky to realise their mistakes sooner rather than later.

Some never do so at all. Mahlangu has found himself and has knuckled down in the last couple of years to give a new meaning to his life.

It is an eventful, colourful life, one which he is clearly unashamed of. He has embraced it.

Instead of wallowing in his misery and suffering self-pity, he has acted to change his fate.

It has dawned on him that no one can escape accountability and taking responsibility for their actions.

The penny has finally dropped — this is my life and I am in charge of it.

He has picked himself up, dusted himself off and started

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he has acted to change his fate, and it has dawned on him that no-one can escape accountability for their actions

all over again.

Soldier on, brother man. You are now a man, my brother.

Your three-month contract at SuperSport United is no charity case. It is a just reward for the tidy duty you’ve put in.

Just as days turn to weeks, to months to years, your contract can follow the same trajectory.

Look no further than Lucky Lekgwathi.

For years he has been getting a one-year contract at Orlando Pirates and, at 37, is still going strong.

You are now 33 and it may be late in the day to start anew. But better late than never. You have nothing to prove to anybody but yourself.

My heart goes out to Thwana, the woman who stood by you through thick and thin. May her devotion continue to be your oasis of inspiration.

Any upcoming young soccer star who does not take a leaf from your book, Jabu Jeremiah Mahlangu, deserves to go to hell and never come back.

@bbkunplugged99