DESPITE Orlando Pirates’ shocking 2-1 loss to North West-based Platinum Stars on Saturday night in the finals of the R4m Telkom Cup, Pirates’ No 1 fan Joy Chauke was determined not to miss Sunday’s church prayer service in memory of former president Nelson Mandela at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Rockville, Soweto.
On Friday, President Jacob Zuma urged the nation to use this Sunday as a day of prayer and reflection in church services across the country.
Clad in black-and-white Pirates paraphernalia and seated in the front row of the packed, 2,000-seater building, the largest Catholic church in South Africa, Ms Chauke said she had arrived in Johannesburg at about 4am on Sunday morning after travelling about 345km from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga — where the Telkom final was played — to attend the service.
A resident of New Canada, also in Soweto, Ms Chauke said it was the first time this year that she, as a self-confessed non-churchgoer, was attending a service.
"Mandela did his part and it is time that we do ours," she said on the sidelines of the church service.
Mandela, who died on Thursday night at the age of 95, had also been a Pirates supporter, said Ms Chauke. At 39, she was 16 when Mandela was released from prison in 1990.
She said the team had much mourning to do this week following the passing of former boxing champion Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala — also a Pirates supporter — who died on Saturday aged 51.
She said the team — ranked second best in Africa after their loss last month in the Caf Champions League final to Al Ahly of Egypt — had to "move on".
Orlando township, the birthplace of Pirates, is about 7km from the Regina Mundi church.
Orlando Pirates fan Joy Chauke during an Absa Premiership match between Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic in November 2009 in Soweto. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/LEFTY SHIVAMBU
DESPITE Orlando Pirates’ shocking 2-1 loss to North West-based Platinum Stars on Saturday night in the finals of the R4m Telkom Cup, Pirates’ No 1 fan Joy Chauke was determined not to miss Sunday’s church prayer service in memory of former president Nelson Mandela at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Rockville, Soweto.
On Friday, President Jacob Zuma urged the nation to use this Sunday as a day of prayer and reflection in church services across the country.
Clad in black-and-white Pirates paraphernalia and seated in the front row of the packed, 2,000-seater building, the largest Catholic church in South Africa, Ms Chauke said she had arrived in Johannesburg at about 4am on Sunday morning after travelling about 345km from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga — where the Telkom final was played — to attend the service.
A resident of New Canada, also in Soweto, Ms Chauke said it was the first time this year that she, as a self-confessed non-churchgoer, was attending a service.
"Mandela did his part and it is time that we do ours," she said on the sidelines of the church service.
Mandela, who died on Thursday night at the age of 95, had also been a Pirates supporter, said Ms Chauke. At 39, she was 16 when Mandela was released from prison in 1990.
She said the team had much mourning to do this week following the passing of former boxing champion Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala — also a Pirates supporter — who died on Saturday aged 51.
She said the team — ranked second best in Africa after their loss last month in the Caf Champions League final to Al Ahly of Egypt — had to "move on".
Orlando township, the birthplace of Pirates, is about 7km from the Regina Mundi church.
