Former student activist Mcebo Dlamini Former student activist Mcebo Dlamini is set to join Orlando Pirates in an administrative role. Photo: Shelley Kjonstad/Independent Newspapers
Image: Shelley Kjonstad/Independent Newspapers
Former Fees Must Fall leader student leader Mcebo Dlamini is reportedly set to be roped in by Betway Premiership title chasers Orlando Pirates.
The Eswatini-born Dlamini made headlines back in 2015 when as president of the Wits University SRC, he was one of the leaders of the Fees Must Fall protests around the country as students wanted to force universities to lower tuition fees.
Dlamini was subsequently arrested the following year and faced charges of public violence, which he was found guilty of in 2020 and handed a suspended five year sentence.
According to a report in Soccer Laduma, the 38-year-old has since found himself at Orlando Pirates, where he has been filling the shoes of Floyd Mbele, who left his role as administrative manager in 2023.
"The club is looking to strengthen its management and administrative side," a source was quoted by Soccer Laduma on Monday.
"Since Floyd Mbele left, they haven't officially replaced him, and at the moment, Mcebo is essentially in that position. The club has many different roles within management, and Mcebo is playing his part...
"He has brought a different dimension to the club. You can see during games how much the players respect him. This stems from the way he interacts with them, offering advice on various occasions and for different reasons. That's the role he plays at the moment."
Mbele, who was involved in the day-to-day running of the club, played a key role in their successful quest for a treble during the 2010/11 season.
He resigned from his post in 2011, assuming the managing director role with the Royal Bafokeng Sports (RBS), the owners of defunct club Platinum Stars. He returned to Pirates in 2013, assuming the same administrative role he held before he left.
IOL Sport