Flamboyant former Kaizer Chiefs public relations officer (PRO) Louis “Sprinter” Tshakoane could not run away from the police after he was arrested at Alex “Goldfingers” Shakoane’s funeral in Mamelodi, outside Pretoria on Tuesday morning.
It was an incident that highly embarrassed Tshakoane and left the mourners and the football fraternity in a state of shame.
Tshakoane and Shakoane were very close when they were the mouthpieces of their respective teams in the 1980s and 19990s.
Tshakoane was arrested by members of the SA Police Service and tactical response team (amabherete) immediately after delivering a moving farewell speech.
Upon returning to his seat, between five and eight police officers pounced on him and led him to a police vehicle waiting outside.
Together with his son, Tshakoane is alleged to have been on the run from the police for some time.
They have been accused of running a multi-million rand fraud scheme where they swindled money from church members.
Tshakoane made a sudden return to the limelight following Shakoane’s death over a week ago. He was on almost every TV sports show, newspapers and radio programmes that paid their tribute to the departed Mamelodi Sundowns administrator.
After parting ways with Amakhosi, Tshakoane was on the regional structures of SA Football Association (Safa), becoming Safa Ekurhuleni president at some point.
SuperSport United spokesperson Mazolman Sikhosana, who also attended the funeral, was outraged at what transpired.
“It is a very sad story. They did not have to bring so much drama and embarrass Louis in that manner,” said Sikhosana.
“I understand the cops are within their right to do their job, but Bra Louis was not armed at all, he is just a civilian. To send in so many heavily armed policemen was so unnecessary.
“They could have handled it in a dignified manner and not at someone’s funeral while people were mourning.”
Mickey Modisane, former Orlando Pirates PRO and now Department of Sport chief director, also voiced his disappointment at the way the police handled their operation.
“I was sitting with Alex “Barnes” Bapela and Mazolman when Bra Louis was suddenly accosted by the cops,” said Modisane.
“They could have waited, and not [arrest him] in full view of the mourners. It was a very shocking and embarrassing incident. There was a lot of drama but it was done swiftly.”
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