Mitchells Plain LFA (MPLFA) president Gilbert Kruger says they are giving the Dane Adams-injury case the necessary attention it deserves.
It is clear that the Mitchells Plain soccer boss is on a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ mission to find out what really led to the spinal-cord injury of Lentegeur’s centre-back, 15-year-old Dane who is now paralysed and wheelchair-bound – for five months already.
This issue was also on the agenda during their executive meeting on Tuesday to determine the facts. This meeting will also be followed with an engagement on Thursday (6 February) with Lentegeur FC to get to the bottom of this story.
“At this stage I cannot comment as we will have a meeting where this issue will be discussed,” Kruger said to No Bones with Jones. At this point, we do not have all the facts. I mean the incident happened and the boy went home. It wasn’t an issue where the guy broke his ankle, you know, and now the club isn’t coming nearer or nobody’s coming nearer.
“We have Delfisure and all that but there are obviously processes that we have to follow. It is not just a matter of activating it and paying this one and doing this and the other. There is documentation and stuff that needs to happen for Delfisure.
“Where is the referee’s report? Did it happen on the field? Who said the guy didn’t walk around the corner on Monday going to school and cracked his ankle there and you he is saying it happened on Saturday – for example. You understand what I am saying,” Kruger added.
Meanwhile, Dane’s mother, Liezl is trying to put up a brave face for her son’s sake while she is trying to figure out the way forward. Liezl admitted that she is also trying to come to grips with her son’s condition.
“First of all, I was very shocked when I heard that he played three games in one day and he was only 14 years old then. How could the club allow this? I mean he is still a child,” explained Liezl who has been running around frantically by herself to get medical care for her son.
“What is even more shocking is that no one from his club was here. That is so sad. To think that Dane has been a member of Lentegeur Football Club since the age of five. Does he not mean anything to them? They need to explain as to why they allowed a youngster to play three games on one day – and the last game against seniors at that.”
According to Liezl their lives have now changed drastically in a blink of an eye. She reveals that rumours of an alleged knee-in-the back-tackle while her son was jumping with his opponent competing for the ball, is in all likelihood the reason.
“This was confirmed by the doctor who examined Dane,” Liezl elaborated. “Yes, Dane only started complaining about back pains on Monday as doctors said he was still full of adrenaline after the match. The following day he first noticed that his right leg functioned a bit abnormally and it looked like it was broken. He had a blood clot on his spine… Doctors said that he will never walk again and they also advised me to make a (civil) case,” Liezl further explained with a trembling voice.
“But he has and is undergoing rehabilitation at St Joseph’s Home and we can only pray and remain positive, you know. But it is extremely difficult. What do you say to a child that says ‘mommy, I am 15 years old and don’t deserve to be in a wheelchair.’ It is not easy, you know. There are now medical bills to pay and other things to take care of like making our house wheelchair friendly, you know.
“Thankfully there were good Samaritans who supported us during this difficult time. Therefore I must give a special thank you to the D6 Academy for helping us in our time of need. They visited us once a week to check on Dane. That meant a lot to me,” Liezl added.
It is alleged that Lentegeur’s chairman Johan Van Wyk was apparently ducking and diving – even from the SAPS detectives who had some questions for him. Needless to say, that there are so many accusations going around that is sketchy to say the least.
Lentegeur’s secretary meanwhile stated that he cannot confirm or deny anything as he is waiting on some coaches and members with relevant information regarding the incident.
“There are so many versions of the story so therefore it is important that we get the correct info,” the Secretary said. “I spoke to the mommy already and I feel for him. I sent a letter to the LFA and chairman of our club to see how we can assist the mother to give her some closure,” he added.
Our website also probed Safa Cape Town on this matter, to which the General Secretary Reyaad Joseph replied: “I am not aware of this.”
