Sekhukhune United Football Club paid R40 000 to the family of nine-year-old Gomolemo Mavimbela to contribute towards her funeral after she died in a car crash allegedly caused by the club’s star player Shaune Mogaila.
Gomolemo’s family also received an additional R10 000 from Mogaila’s family to contribute towards her burial.
According to an agreement dated November 4, 2024, and seen by Sunday World, Sekhukhune United and Gomolemo’s family agreed that the club would pay R40 000 to the family to contribute towards Gomolemo’s funeral.
There has been allegations in the media and social media that the club did not help the bereaved family.
“Sekhukhune United and [the] Kekana family agree that the sum of R40 000 will be paid to the family to contribute towards the cost of the funeral of Gomolemo Mavimbela.
“The contribution will be made by Tuesday, 5 November 2024 to the nominated bank account of Thapelo Kekana…” reads the agreement in part.
“Ernest Mahasa on behalf of Mogaila will contribute R10 000 towards the burial cost,” read the agreement.
Kekana is the surname of Gomolemo’s paternal side.
Sunday World has also seen proof of payment showing that Sekhukhune United paid R40 000 to Gomolemo’s family.
This newspaper has also seen an exchange of WhatsApp messages wherein a Kekana family member acknowledges receiving the R40 000.
Gomolemo’s funeral service took place on November 9, 2024, at the Faith Mission Bible Church in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, and she was buried at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa. On the morning of October 30 last year, Mogaila’s sleek machine, a black BMW, smashed into a red Hyundai i10 driven by Gomolemo’s mother Keo Mavimbela on Andrew Mapheto Drive in Tembisa.
Gomolemo died at the scene.
Mavimbela and their neighbour’s 14-year-old son survived the crash with serious injuries.
They were taken to hospital for medical treatment and discharged in December last year.
Mavimbela and the neighbour’s 14-year-old son are still on crutches and are recovering at their homes in Tembisa.
On the morning of the crash, Mavimbela was transporting Gomolemo and their neighbour’s son to Edleen Primary School in Kempton Park, where Gomolemo was doing grade 4.
After the crash, Mogaila later turned himself in to the police after he initially fled from the scene of the accident.
Police reportedly found four bottles of Don Julio alcohol, a powder they suspect to be cocaine and weed edibles in Mogaila’s car after the crash.
The footballer was granted R20- 000 bail by the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court during his first court appearance in November last year. After the crash, Mogaila did not feature for Sekhukhune United for more than three months.
Mogaila made his second court appearance at the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court in February, where he is facing charges of culpable homicide, reckless and negligent driving and failure to render assistance after an accident (fleeing the scene).
The court postponed the matter to May 19 for further investigations to allow the state to obtain the post-mortem report and J88 medical reports.
Mogaila made a controversial return to football in February when he played the full 90 minutes in the club’s 4-2 win over AmaZulu in a Betway Premiership match at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo. Mogaila provided an assist for the club’s first goal in the match.
A few days after the AmaZulu match, he scored the winning goal in Sekhukhune United’s 1-0 win over Chippa United in a league match. Mogaila received the man of the match accolade for his performance.
