Al-Qalam 
Tragedy struck Kabelo Masalesa who was part of a group of 18 young soccer players from South Africa who participated in the Free Palestine Football tournament in the West Bank, writes Nabeelah Shaikh.
An 11-year-old Johannesburg boy who drowned while on a soccer tour in Palestine will be laid to rest by his family this week. The body of Kabelo Masalesa from the suburb of Alexandra was repatriated to South Africa early on Monday morning.
Masalesa was one of 18 South African players visiting Palestine when tragedy struck at the hotel in the West Bank city of Jericho on Saturday July 16 after his team’s 2-0 win – but the child’s body was only discovered on Sunday morning.
His parents were devastated on hearing the news of their son’s drowning. It’s alleged that Masalesa went off for a swim unsupervised after the team arrived back at their hotel. Kabelo was one of six students from Alexandra, selected to participate in the tournament. The rest of the students were from Cape Town.
Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa, Hanan Jarrar, was present at the O.R Tambo International Airport on Monday to receive the boy’s body.
“It is with sadness and grief that I, along with the embassy staff and bereaved family,
received on Monday morning at 3am, the body of 11-year-old Kabelo Masalesa who drowned in a swimming pool in Palestine. Kabelo was part of a junior players squad selected to represent their team at the Free Palestine Football tournament during the winter school holidays,” said Jarrar.
She said the Free Palestine Football tournament is a part of the Palestinian embassy’s participation in youth development programmes to uplift the youth of South Africa, and was hosted in Palestine this year in cooperation with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in Gauteng, SSS Foundation, the United Nations, the Palestine Football Federation and other organisations.
Jarrar said the State of Palestine held a memorial service for Masalesa, attended by his parents and uncle, followed by a ceremony with Military Honours at State House in Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank, ahead of the repatriation of his remains to South Africa.
“The embassy sends prayers, comfort and strength to the Masalesa family during this heartbreaking time. He was a promising star. Kabelo will forever remain in our hearts, may his young soul rest in peace,” said Jarrar.
The Department of Arts and Culture confirmed several members of Masalesa’s family were flown to Palestine to identify his body. “When they arrived in Palestine, they were treated warmly and an amazing memorial service was organised for Kabelo. There were soldiers and he was honoured like a hero,” said Zimasa Velaphi, a spokesperson for the Department of Arts and Culture.
She said a memorial service was also hosted this week by the Department at the Orchards Primary School where Kabelo was a student. A spokesperson for Masalesa’s family, Alfred Mamabolo said the family was busy with funeral arrangements.
“We are shattered and broken beyond measure. This has been a devastating time for us all. He had just started his soccer career and had a promising future. We were so excited about this tour, and now we are mourning him. We will honour Kabelo by celebrating his life. We are not in a space to blame anyone and took this as an accident that can happen to anyone.
Over the weekend, the family got to visit the site where the incident happened,” said Mamabolo. Masalesa’s uncle, Sello Mambolo, also took to social media to praise the Palestinian government, for the support they’ve offered to the family.
In a Facebook post, he wrote: “To the people of Palestine, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, thank you for the honour you gave our son Kabelo Masalesa. We are comforted. A hero was saluted.”
Masalesa is expected to be buried in Limpopo on Saturday, 30 July.
