Ex-Pirates player dodges court

2008-05-11 12:00

Walter Ka Nkosi

Nelspruit - Former Orlando Pirates football striker, Ebeneezer Thabethe, skipped bail twice last week when he was meant to answer charges relating to defrauding a leading chain store in Nelspruit.

Thabethe, 35, who lives in KaNyamazane near Nelspruit, is accused of using a credit card belonging to a Lazarus Hlupheka Simango to buy a case of Jack Daniels whiskey worth R1 700 at Pick 'n Pay on March 20.

He was arrested when he couldn't produce his ID book to prove the credit card was his. Simango had reported his wallet missing after three unknown men pretended to ask him for directions but pick-pocketed him instead.

He was out on R1 000 bail and was meant to appear in the Nelspruit magistrate's court on Tuesday, but failed to arrive.

Tough times

Instead, his girlfriend arrived and told State prosecutor Brian Mogale that Thabethe was ill and had gone to get medication for epilepsy at Rob Ferreira Hospital.

Magistrate Annemarie van der Merwe issued a warrant for Thabethe's arrest, but it was held over until Friday.

She told Thabethe's girlfriend to tell him to bring a medical certificate when he arrived on Friday.

But on Friday, neither Thabethe nor his girlfriend arrived at court.

The prosecutor then asked that the arrest warrant again be withheld until May 23.

But there's another arrest warrant out for Thabethe for failing to arrive for sentencing in a drunk driving case in the same court on April 21. He had pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was out on R500 bail.

When contacted for comment, Thabethe confirmed he had not attended court because of his epilepsy.

He said he had suffered from epileptic fits since 1993, when he still played for Orlando Pirates. He said he felt sorry for being in the news now for wrong reasons.

He said he was unemployed and suffering financially.

"It is hard when you are the only breadwinner in a large and unhappy family that expects you to support them," he said.

Mpumalanga Black Aces coach, Kenny Ndlazi, was Thabethe's mentor when Thabethe played for the Dangerous Darkies before he joined Pirates.

He said he was sad about Thabethe's predicament.

"I know him as a dedicated, committed, honest, skilful and a professional player," Ndlazi.

Thabethe's career started at Dangerous Darkies. He then went to Orlando Pirates but returned to Mpumalanga after a car accident and played for Nelspruit Black Swallows.

He then joined the Tsakane Football Club in KaNyamazane, which played in the South African Football Association (SAFA) Mpumalanga Vodacom League before they were demoted in 2003.

Since then, he hasn't played again.

- African Eye