OUR HEROES

At more than age 66 years, Kgomotso Elizabeth Lefshiedi, popularly known as Tsotso or Tsoo, still does energetic moves and runs in the Atteridgeville community hall four times a week. She religiously does the morning aerobics with a group of about forty elderly ladies dancing to rhythmic music to keep their bodies and mind healthy and in tune.

She was born on the 28 September 1952 in Lady Selborne and the family later in her very young age moved to Atteridgeville. She comes from a sporting family of eight where all the siblings are either actively or were previously involved in a variety of sports such as weightlifting, shot put, walking, tennis, netball, swimming, soccer, rugby, refereeing and administration.

Kgomotso was a late starter in sports but once she got hooked she threw all her life into it.

She played tennis and basketball at Hofmeyr High School. She went on to also play softball at Nchaupe Teacher Training College. She became a swimmer by accident during a sports trip to Durban. Some of those that she played basketball with were Oupa Letsoalo, Klaasen Lekgetho, Tiny Sehlapeloa, Thosa Mboweni and Mahlatsi Mamabolo

During 1974 – 1987, as teacher at Kgabo Primary School she was a coach in netball, discuss and shot put and also a player in the local club. In 1977 she did a course with the then South African Netball Association and thus her career in sports development started. She participated in netball which was still new as a replacement of basketball.

Kgomotso introduced netball in Atteridgeville, Mamelodi and other townships in Pretoria. She became an instructor and umpire training other teachers to introduce netball at their schools which later resulted in the school’s league games on Wednesdays. She produced a netball Springbok in the name of Rosina Mogola and a national umpire in netball in the name of Jerry Masia.

In 1977/78 she represented the country in the Netball Championship for Blacks during the apartheid era and in 1979 she became a netball coach. Her team mates in netball included Kressie Masupye, Gabaza Mboweni and Lilly Lefoka.

In 1985 Kgomotso completed a one-year specialisation course in Human Movement Science then known as Physical Education at the then Transvaal College of Education. In 1987 she joined the Provincial Sports and Recreation as Sports Coordinator facilitating and coaching in netball and tennis, swimming skills for development, arranging tournaments and conducting coaching clinics for schools and clubs in the broader Pretoria region. She was twice the Northern Transvaal discuss champion.

1989 She became a coach in Artistic Gymnastics from Level 0 for novices involving pommel horse, vault, high bar, floor and parallel bars. She started Artistic Gymnastics with four boys and one of them, Fabio Masoga became a South African Champion. Two of her products, Karabo Maidi and Mosoeu were recognised and picked for participation in the USA. Others were Kgomotso Tatane, Sylvester and Carl Maidi.

Kgomotso was transferred in 1994 to the new Gauteng Province in the same position of Sports Coordinator.

She was also a tennis player and won the then Northern Transvaal Ladies’ Doubles three times with Maureen Mokone. She also won the Northern Transvaal Mixed Doubles with Oupa Mogale. Some of her contemporary prominent tennis players were Joyce Ramahotsoa, Antipas Sehlapeloa and his daughter Moni, Trevor Morolo, Monk Motsepe, Masobe Mogasoa, Joseph Kekana and his wife Francina.

Since December 2009, she has been participating in the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Goodwill Games as Match Commissioner and the only lady in the Committee.

In 2013 Kgomotso was transferred to the Provincial Arts and Culture where she coordinated choreography in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mabopane, Garankuwa, Winterveld and Hammanskraal which results in the Pretoria Annual Carnival Event. She also ran the Arts and Culture competitions.