Leremi doccie heads for global stage
A documentary about late Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Gift Leremi is being handed over to American cable channel Demand Africa.
This after Whispering Leremi’s Tale To My Child was allegedly rejected by several South African broadcasters since 2018.
The 60-minute doccie is the brainchild of Leremi’s widow, Mamello, who narrates the true life story of her late husband to their surviving child, Kelebogile.
It also zooms in on the loss of their last-born daughter, Mahlatse, who died two years after Leremi’s passing.
The footage takes fans through the footie’s life on the football pitch and as a family man. It also features his former friend and teammate Gerald Modabi.
Director of the documentary Mfanelo Ngoma said he was disappointed that the SABC preferred international soccer stars’ documentaries instead of home brew.
He said they had also submitted the documentary to Kwese TV in 2018, which shut doors before the star’s documentary would be aired.
“Kwese was going to broadcast the documentary across the continent and other parts of the world,” Ngoma said.
“We have been trying to have this documentary aired. We have long done shooting, but we are still looking for a space where it will be aired [locally].”
Ngoma added they were now trying to license the short doccie to an American broadcaster.
According to Mamello, the production of the doccie was prompted by the often skewed narratives of Leremi’s life that people would feed their daughter. Leremi died aged 22.
The former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana footballer died when the BMW he was driving rolled several times after he lost control in 2007.