Mike Stofile funeral to be held in Alice next Saturday
FORMER SA Rugby Union (Saru) deputy president Mike Stofile will be buried next Saturday.
Stofile died on Sunday at Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth after complications related to diabetes.
His older brother, former Eastern Cape premier and current ambassador to Germany Makhenkesi Stofile, wrote a moving tribute.
In it, he described his brother as a champion of “equity for all” in sport in general, and rugby in particular, a principled position which he said created many enemies for his brother.
“Some of his erstwhile comrades even turned against him, as access to resources became more attractive than principles,” he wrote.
More tributes poured in earlier, among them from Saru president Oregan Hoskins.
Hoskins described Stofile as a proud man who had clear views on rugby and sport.
“He unflinchingly stood for what he believed in during his time at Saru,” he said.
Stofile was Saru vice-president for two years and deputy president for a further two until 2008. He was also a former president of the Border Rugby Union.
Younger brother Nceba Stofile said the family had not finalised whether to hold the funeral at Engqele or in Alice, “but it is sure to be held around Alice”.
Engqele is a village less than 2km from Alice. “We will finalise the logistics soon and let people know,” Nceba said yesterday.