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ActionSA is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of black business leader, Dr Sam Motsuenyane, and boxing legend, Dingaan Thobela, and extends our sincere gratitude to their friends and families, both in the business and sporting fraternities. The two South African pioneers represent what is best of our country, and we are grateful for the immense contribution they have made. 

I have had a long relationship with both Dr Motsuenyane and Thobela, and have, over the years, come to learn of them as men of immense character. Dr Motsuenyane, who co-founded the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC) and Africa Bank, was a close family friend of Connie and I, and we respected his outspoken criticism of the country’s direction under difficult circumstances during Apartheid. 

I had the pleasure of working with Dr Mosuenyane when I served as the Chairperson of the Free Market Foundation, and him as President.  

At the same time, at the height of Dingaan Thobela’s career as boxer in the 1990s, I had the privilege to help with the sponsorship of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for the live broadcast of some of his major tournaments, here at home and abroad. Thobela, who became known as the ‘Rose of Soweto’, showed the world South Africa’s sporting excellence at a time of immense political change in the country.  

ActionSA pays special tribute to both these men for their contribution to the country and wishes their friends and family peace and care during this time of mourning. May we learn from their great legacies, and may it inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and sporting legends in our country. These men truly showed us that anything is possible in our in this world. 

Issued by ActionSA President Herman Mashaba