South African football legend and former Bafana Bafana coach, Shakes Mashaba, 74, is currently hospitalised at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg, battling a suspected bladder infection that left him unable to urinate for several days.
The news, confirmed by family spokesperson Sithembele Khala in a Radio 2000 interview, paints a concerning picture of the celebrated coach’s condition and the challenges he faced within the public healthcare system.
Mashaba, a giant of South African football with two stints as Bafana Bafana coach – the second of which saw the team go unbeaten in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations – was admitted to the hospital on 27 January. His admission followed a period of severe discomfort, culminating in his inability to urate.
Khala described the initial stages of Mashaba’s hospitalisation as critical: “He was admitted on the 27th of January. He was very bad. His tongue was swollen and closed the airways. The care is not good. Remember, this is a public hospital, so it has its own challenges. The coach didn’t see a doctor for a day or two,” he revealed.
The delay in receiving medical attention compounded Mashaba’s difficulties. Khala detailed the subsequent events: “When he finally saw a doctor, he was given a half diagnosis. They said they needed to put in a catheter, but when it was time to remove the catheter, the doctor didn’t come. An hour after it was removed, there were more complications, and he couldn’t pee again.”
Insiders at Helen Joseph Hospital corroborated aspects of the family’s account, painting a picture of a national treasure struggling within the constraints of a public healthcare facility. A nurse recounted the scene of Mashaba’s arrival: “When Shakes arrived here, we had to arrange a wheelchair because he could not walk. His wife was frantic and upon recognising who he was, we gathered around him to protect him from prying eyes. Nurses and medical doctors made sure that they leave everything to attend to him.”
Another medical practitioner described Mashaba’s initial condition as serious, requiring immediate intervention: “We had to put him on a drip so that he could regain his strength. When he woke up from a nap later, he seemed a lot better. He had a urinary problem – he couldn’t pee at all. We are glad that we managed to stabilise him. He can now stand up on his own and speak to us. We are grateful that we managed to assist him. Remember this old man is a national treasure. He is the legend and we had to do whatever we could to save his life,” the practitioner stated.
However, concerns remain about the suitability of the public hospital setting for a figure of Mashaba’s stature. A source expressed concern that the lack of visitors, aside from what is believed to be his wife, and the secrecy surrounding his admission pointed to a situation that could have been avoided with access to better healthcare.
“What is strange about this whole thing is that nobody comes here to visit him except for this woman, we think is his wife. His admission was kept secret based on his status. I am praying that there could be good Samaritans out there who can come and take him to a better healthcare facility, not a public hospital. He is a good person who is very reserved and he deserves better,” the source said.
Mashaba’s illustrious career, spanning decades and including successful stints with Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows in the 1970s, as well as his time at the helm of Bafana Bafana from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2014 to 2016, is well-documented. His 55% win ratio from 58 matches as Bafana Bafana coach, including an unbeaten run in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, stands as a testament to his coaching prowess.
His induction into the SA Hall of Fame last year further cemented his legacy in South African football. However, his recent struggles highlight the challenges faced even by prominent figures within the country's healthcare system. The incident also underscores the vulnerability of even the most celebrated figures to the realities of financial constraints and the limitations of public healthcare. His post-Bafana Bafana career saw him take the reins at Witbank Aces until 2019, before stepping away from the football world. His last high-profile appearance was at the SAFA elective congress in 2022.
