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Senior leadership from Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), led by Executive Mayor Princess Faku, paid a courtesy and condolence visit to the family of the late Springbok Women’s Rugby player Lusanda Dumke at NU7 in Mdantsane on Friday.
Mayor Faku was joined by BCMM councillor Clara Yekiso-Morolong, Amathole District Municipality Chief Whip Nanziwe Rulashe, and the Head of Department for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC), Nomatamsanqa Gobozi-Nibe.
The visit followed the untimely passing of Dumke last week, a loss that has deeply affected the people of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, the Eastern Cape and the broader South African sporting fraternity.
Speaking during the visit, Mayor Faku described Dumke as more than an accomplished athlete.
“Lusanda Dumke was more than a rugby player; she was a trailblazer, a leader, and a beacon of hope for many young girls who dared to dream beyond their circumstances,” said Faku.
“Her contribution to South African sport and to our province is immeasurable. As the City, we mourn with the Dumke family and the nation at large, and we honour her legacy of excellence, humility, and service.”
Dumke was widely regarded as a towering figure in women’s rugby and a source of pride for both her local community and the country. She represented South Africa with distinction, earning more than 30 international caps and captaining the Springbok Women’s Rugby team on three occasions.
Her leadership, resilience and commitment to excellence set her apart as a true ambassador of the sport.
In recognition of her outstanding contribution, Dumke was honoured with the 2022 Eastern Cape Sports Star of the Year Award, the highest sporting accolade in the province.
Beyond her on-field achievements, Dumke inspired many young people—particularly young women—by demonstrating that discipline, determination and courage could open pathways from local communities to the global sporting stage.
During the visit, political leaders conveyed heartfelt condolences and messages of comfort to the Dumke family, assuring them of the municipality’s support during this difficult period.
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality extended its deepest sympathies to the Dumke family, her friends, teammates and the wider sporting fraternity, noting that Dumke’s legacy would continue to live on through the lives she touched and the barriers she helped break in South African sport.
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