Pretoria - The Gauteng Provincial Government has expressed condolences to the family and friends of former Bafana Bafana star Thabang Lebese.
"We pray for his family, friends, fans and all those affected by his untimely passing to gather strength in this time of sadness," the province's Portfolio Committee for Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture chairperson Nompi Nhlapo said.
Nhlapo said Lebese's death was a blow to South African football and the sports fraternity at large.
According to reports, Lebese passed away at Johannesburg's Helen Joseph Hospital where he was admitted for an undisclosed illness. Lebese had been hospitalised for over a month.
The provincial Health and Social Development Department also conveyed its condolences to the midfielder's family and friends.
The department's Simon Zwane said: "The department would like to state that complications that the patient experienced were not as a result of the treatment he received at the hospital or as a result of negligence by any health worker. The patient received all the necessary medical care and treatment as well as psycho-social assistance while admitted at the hospital."
