Lerumo Lions chairlady Sibongile Marokana has pulled no punches in reacting to recent comments made by Mkhanyiseli Siwahla following his departure from the club.
Marokana expressed her frustration regarding what was said by the former Ajax Cape Town midfielder, suggesting that Siwahla is using the club’s brand to maintain his own relevance in the football fraternity.
This comes after Siwahla opened up on his exit from Lerumo to Cape Town Spurs FC, where he now serves as the Under-18 assistant coach.
“When I was at Lerumo Lions, I accomplished a lot there. So, I believe I built that team from nothing to what it is now. I am proud of myself. I was able to create something from nothing, and it has become something big,” said Siwahla in an exclusive interview with FARPost.
“At the same time, I managed to produce players, some of whom are now playing professionally. They come from my hands—raw talent that I selected from trials. I identified them with my eyes, and they made it.
“I was always telling my players that while I was still there, I would say; ‘guys, I’m not here for long. Somewhere, somehow, I’m going to go,’ but I wasn’t sure exactly when I would leave. I just wanted to see the team in the NFD or Betway Premiership so that I could feel I had done my job.”
Following the acquisition of Pretoria Callies’ status at the start of the 2025/26 PSL season, Lerumo have made a steady start to life in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. After 22 outings, the club sits 10th on the table with a total of 27 points.
‘I’M REALLY UPSET’: SIBONGILE MAROKANA
In a robust interview with FARPost, Marokana stated that the narrative being pushed by the former PSL star is offensive towards her and the team.
“I’m really upset about that interview. I felt it was more about Lerumo, and Mkhanyiseli does not make Lerumo,” Marokana said. “For me, that was very offensive—that he cannot stand on his own to say he started the team from scratch and talk about his capabilities regarding what he can do and produce without adding Lerumo.
“It’s as if he needs to stay relevant by using Lerumo’s name. He is not part of the Lerumo brand. He never started Lerumo, and he never contributed a single cent to it. It annoys me when someone wants to use it as a platform or as a way for him to get through to other platforms. That upsets me very much.”
‘I DON’T FEEL ANYTHING’: SIBONGILE MAROKANA ON SIWAHLA’S EXIT
Marokana insists she holds no emotional attachment to his exit, though she questioned the manner in which the separation occurred.
“I don’t feel anything [about his departure]. I’m one person who moves on in life,” she added. “You know, God has always put me in a space where I help people, and I always say to them that sometimes I’m just here to guide you in your life and show you a certain path. So, from there, I’m not meant to be here with you forever,” she added.
“When a person makes a decision that they would like to leave, the decision is on them. Maybe how they went about it is not what I like. So, I believe I’m one person who moves on, and there’s a reason for it, even if we may not see eye to eye sometimes.”
‘DON’T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU’: SAYS LERUMO LIONS BOSS
The Lerumo boss further highlighted the personal sacrifices she made to assist Siwahla during his tenure at the club, warning against “biting the hand that feeds you.”
“If the man has done all the things he says he has done for the club, why should I, as a stranger, be the one to help him out? That’s basically saying I did nothing for them. But there was nobody around. I was a stranger; I didn’t know him prior to meeting him while working together at the club,” she revealed.
“I went through a lot of sacrifices to help bail the man out of his problems. You know one thing that you don’t do: never, ever, by any chance, bite the hand that feeds you. That’s very important because tomorrow, you don’t know where you will end up again.”
Marokana concluded by stating that she has chosen to remain disciplined despite the “horrible things” she claims to have covered up during their working relationship.
“You don’t find us talking about him. I wouldn’t even say all the horrible things that were happening and all the things I was covering up. I’m not that person. I can tell you today that no single player has asked me about his whereabouts since he left. I felt that what was said in the interview was not fair,” Marokana concluded.
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