Marumo Gallants chairman Abram Sello has broken his silence regarding suspended midfielder Thapelo Dhludhlu’s alleged fake kidnapping.
Dhludhlu,27, was reported missing late last month only for him to be reunited with his family early in July after they had alerted the police of the developments.
There were claims of a R50, 000 ransom that was demanded from an unidentified person using the player’s phone during his disappearance.
Police investigations revealed that the kidnapping was staged and that Dhludhlu owed people money, to which even the minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie posted about on his social media platform X .
Sello spoke to the media at the launch of the Mafori Cup at the Ranch Hotel outside Polokwane on Tuesday where he spoke about how the situation has affected a lot of people and why despite the player’s suspension, the club is still backing him.
“I even take it as a personal son because now when something happens, it also affects us,” said Sello.
“It affects the nation; it affects the youth. We sat down with him to find out what the problem is. The police were also involved, the family involved, the whole soccer fraternity involved, even the Minister commented at some stage.
“We are very concerned. Even now we are going through the whole process of getting him right because we need him more than he needs us. Now we need to rebuild him towards the benefit of South Africa as well as a Bafana Bafana future star.”
The Bahlabane Ba Ntwa boss added that the player was doing well in the internal rehabilitation processes as he is being monitored closely and also cooperating.
“Yes, it is [a lesson] because now if we don’t do anything about it, the others will follow into the same trap,” added Sello.
“We have to be very strict, like as a parent, to work on this child. We are in an internal rehabilitation system now with him. We have suspended him so that we can give the police a chance to check. We clarified with that and now it’s internal where we sit down with him and make sure that we monitor him day to day, practice to practice, training to training and all of those kind of things.
“But so far, he is coming along very well. Yesterday [Monday], I spoke to the mother as well and we understand we can’t do it alone. We need the parents; we need the nation we need the law force. We also have to be careful in terms of the peer grouping, how our players live, which type of friends do they chose, that is very much important.
“But I think he is aware that we are on it, and we will tell you the results as they come. Now I can’t say much, but he is very cooperative as well, and I believe in him. We’ve been with him for the past two, three years he’s someone that we know very well, and it’s just the slippery of activity which happened along the way, but it will be fine.”
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