Molokwane is arguably the most powerful person in netball on the African continent.
Cecilia Molokwane (born 28 April 1975) is a former Netball player, referee, and administrator from South Africa. She is the President of Netball South Africa and Netball Africa.
Molokwane is one of the few female presidents in the sports arena. She also wants to mentor other young women to follow in her footsteps.
Early Life
| Cecilia Molokwane | |
|---|---|
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| Short Profile | |
| Name: | Cecilia Molokwane |
| Born: | 28 April 1975 (age 48 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Limpopo |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | University of Limpopo |
| Spouse: | Lerato Molokwane (m. ?-2019) |
| Occupation: | Former Netball player, referee, and administrator |
| Office: | President of Netball South Africa and Netball Africa |
Cecilia Molokwane was born on 28 April 1975 in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa. She discovered netball while hanging around her sister.
In June 2019, her mother passed on while the Proteas competed at the World Cup in Liverpool.
Cecilia was good at many sports. Netball was not her first passion. She was a 100 meters and 200 meters sprinter and was also into softball because her brother was also into it.
At first, she had no interest in netball but played to follow her sister. She was better interested in sprinting. In the university, she grew as a netball player. The team needed her height and elevation, so she joined.
Education
Cecilia Molokwane attended a Roman Catholic school. She attended the University of Limpopo.
Career
Cecilia Molokwane was part of the under-21 squad and was there during the 1994 amalgamation. When the whites, blacks, and other people of color came together to make Netball South Africa what it is.
Being selected for the team shocked her because she came from the north, where netball is not well-recognized. In 1996, she was left out of the under-21 World Cup squad. She says it was one of her moments and still hurts the most.
Cecilia has grown from being a player, referee, and administrator to being the President of Netball South Africa and Netball Africa. She wants netball in the country to be professional. She also aims to ensure they have a great showing at the 2023 World Cup.
Molokwane secured the hosting rights of the 2023 World Cup. Winning the right to host the biggest netball tournament in the world is among her biggest achievements as a president.
Personal Life
Cecilia Molokwane lost her husband, Lerato Molokwane, in February 2019. He passed on three days before she got an email from INF informing her of South Africa’s successful bid for the World Cup.
They were a married couple for twenty-three years. Cecilia was with her late husband from age twenty. He kept her focused, courageous, and grounded. He also gave her a sense of stability and security.
Molokwane is a mother of three children including a six-year-old kid, Phologo.
Allegation
A former vice-president of Netball South Africa, Christine du Preez, accused the Cecilia of some misdemeanors. A series of allegations on NSA’s president, Cecilia Molokwane, was in a documentary compiled by AfriForm.
Some allegations against her include racism, mismanagement and interference in selections.
“Cecilia is a very vibrant person. She likes to be the centre of attraction. If you are in her camp, all is well. But if you’re not, you get to see the other side of Cecilia Molokwane”
Former vice-president of NSA Christine du Preez