Motion passed to rename stadium after Sam Sono
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday May 23, 2014 17:25
He is the founder of Premier League club, FC Satmos that was initially called Copper Chiefs. There have been calls since Sono’s death to rename the Selebi-Phikwe Stadium after him.
At some point, a motion on the matter was presented in council, but did not pass muster. But things have changed after a new motion by councillor Lekang Mukokomani sailed through.
The councillor said everybody is aware of Sono’s immense contribution to Botswana football and that is why the stadium should be renamed to remember him. “He is the founder of a team that is currently competing in the Premier League and the team attracted youngsters from the streets and produced national team players.
He was a renowned goal keeper for another Premier League outfit Township Rollers,” he argued.Mukokomani stated that even the council has generated revenue from Premier League teams as a result of Sono’s efforts.
He said it is ideal for Selebi-Phikwe to promote its own son whose input has been recognised by the state through a Presidential Award.
“We should promote our own heroes in our locality not to wait for the President to recognise them before us. This will instill a sense that hard work pays to his children as well. It is easy because we have a facility in the form of a stadium that currently has got no name,” he added.
Councillors supported the motion, but advised that consent from the late Sono’s family should be sought first to avoid legal implications.
It was also agreed that since a full council meeting cannot make a final decision on the matter, the committee responsible should be roped in. Councillor Koos Mashaba emphasised the need for the community to respect its heroes even those who are still alive rather than to honour them posthumously.