By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
Former Bidvest Wits left-back Charles Yohane has died at the age of 48 in an apparent car-jacking incident.
His body was found in Mzimhlophe in Soweto on Monday, though it is believed he died on Saturday night.
Yohanne’s family confirmed to Zimbabwe’s Newsday that the retired footballer was murdered in a car hijacking incident in South Africa.
The wife of Yohane’s brother who is based in Harare is quoted as saying by the website that they had got information of the former player’s death although they were still waiting for more details.
We have received the news that he died, after an attack as he traveled from a match,” she said as quoted by the publication.
“He (Charles Yohane) told us that he had changed teams and on this particular occasion, he was coming from a match, since he was now a coach and he was passing through Soweto going home.”
Yohane played for Wits between 1997 and 2006 and holds the record for appearances at the club, after playing for them 268 times.
He moved from Zimbabwe to South Africa in 1996 and played for top-flight side Wits, becoming captain and making a club record 268 appearances from 1997 to 2006.
Yohane later became coach of the Wits’ developmental side, but was released from his job when the club sold its franchise to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in 2020.
Yohane played for Zimbabwe 23 times, quickly establishing himself as his country’s first-choice left-back in 1996, when he was playing for Harare side CAPS United.
His good friend Innocent Chikoya played with him at Fire Batteries FC and they moved together to African Wanderers in South Africa, with Yohane returning briefly to Zimbabwe in 1996 for his stint with Caps United.
“He wasn’t a friend, he was a brother, and we have lost him in bad circumstances,” said Chikoya.
“He was clever, an intelligent footballer, he had ways of getting things done. He was a leader, disciplined and dedicated.
“I will be collecting his body from the funeral parlour on Thursday and will be taking him home.”
Another South Africa-based Zimbabwean, Edelbert Dinha, was in the Zimbabwe squad at the 2006 Nations Cup and was close to Yohane.
“We tried calling him from Saturday up to Monday, and we couldn’t reach him,” Dinha said “Then I went to the police station.
“Charles was a quiet person, always smiling, he never argued with anyone. He was coaching Leruma United FC in the ABC Motsepe League.”