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'IT WAS ONLY AN ORDINARY QUARREL'

NO MORE: Bidvest Wits striker Abram Raselemane hanged himself on Tuesday. Pic. Lefty Shivambu. 28/02/07. © Sowetan.
NO MORE: Bidvest Wits striker Abram Raselemane hanged himself on Tuesday. Pic. Lefty Shivambu. 28/02/07. © Sowetan.

Kamogelo Seekoei

Kamogelo Seekoei

Sebolelo Raselemane, soccer star Abram Raselemane's widow, says a family quarrel might have led to his suicide.

"We had a normal row as husband and wife," she said. "I did not think he would go and do that."

Sebolelo was speaking from their Bloemfontein home in the Free State after Raselemane's death. The couple has a three-year old son.

The Bidvest Wits striker hanged himself on Tuesday after he allegedly fought with his wife, who found him hanging around in the house.

But teammate Ashley Makhanya said suicide was out of character for Raselemane.

He described him as strong and straightforward.

"He always spoke his mind," Makhanya said. "Wit Fire what you saw was what you got. Fire was Fire."

Makhanya said it was difficult to believe that his teammate was dead.

Another teammate and friend, Kagiso Denge, could not speak and just asked to be left alone when Sowetan contacted him.

"I still don't want to talk about this," he said. "I hope you understand that."

Bidvest Wits team manager George Mogotsi said they were still expecting more from the Thaba Nchu-born player.

"This is a shock to all of us. We could never have anticipated this," he said.

Mogotsi said he had sat down with Raselemane and discussed his future at the team after Raselemane had had a bad season.

Raselemane had been on the bench for most of the season owing to a knee injury.

"We were both looking forward to next season and I knew that he would come back with a bang," Mogotsi said.

Rodney Reiners of Santos, Raselemane's former team, said Raselemane's death was a loss to football.

"He was such a good player. We are with his family in prayer in these hard times."

But controversy also followed him when his high school sweetheart, Tsabeng Tsie, took him to court for maintenance.

Raselemane was ordered by the Thaba-Nchu magistrate's court to pay maintenance for his love child. Raselemane is survived by his wife and two children.

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