FOR about five minutes former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe sat in the ward where his father spent his last hours in the Soweto Hospice in Diepkloof.

Rhoo, as he is popularly known, was commemorating World Hospice and Palliative Care Day at the weekend. Yesterday marked the first anniversary of his wife Feziwe's death.

She lost her battle with bowl cancer last year.

Just five months after losing his wife Radebe's father, Johannes, died in the hospice of prostate cancer.

"It's hard. My children and I are trying to cope. The support we have been receiving from people is overwhelming. I find it easy to talk about her," he said.

Radebe is now raising their two children - Lucas Hugo, 10, and Owami, 5, - alone.

Radebe, who is the hospice's ambassador, said: "Lucas Hugo was very close to his mother and her death affected his performance at school though he received counselling. We still sit and talk about what she used to do.

"Sometimes I do not know what to say to them. A mother's love is very different. I cannot give them that kind of love."

Rhoo also visited patients in all the wards (male, female and children's wards).

"I am honoured to be the ambassador for the hospice. It makes me look at life in a different way," he said.

Cricketer Jacques Kallis is also an ambassador for the hospice.

A nurse at the hospice, Dorcus Ramakuela, confided: "Dying comfortably means a lot to us. We want people to die peacefully,"