Molemela biography

Rantlai Petrus Molemela, who has died at the age of 83, was a larger-than-life business tycoon, philanthropist and football club owner.

The honorary life president of Premier Soccer League club Bloemfontein Celtic, Molemela pulled himself up by his bootstraps.

From humble roots he became a revered business figure, notwithstanding apartheid policies against black business.

Born at Sannaspos in , Molemela had no formal education. He taught himself to speak Afrikaans and, as an adult, learnt to read and write.

Tales are told of how, as a ung man - and fitness fanatic - he rode a bicycle for more than 40km from Sannaspos to Bloemfontein and back.

Molemela built an empire that included a construction company whose contracts included the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court.

He became the first black man to own a hotel, the Molemela in Phahameng township. He also owned filling stations.

But it was his foray into football that cemented his

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Judge Mahube Betty Molemela

Capacity: Judge of Appeal
First appointed as judge: July (Free State)
Further appointments:
– Judge President (Free State)
– Judge of Appeal (SCA)Gender: Female
Ethnicity: African
Date of Birth: March
Qualifications: BA, (UFH) LLB, LLM (UFS) Dip. Bus. Management (MANCOSA) Dip. (Adv. Labour Law)(UJ) Cert.(Estate Agency)(Estate Agency Affairs Board) Cert. (Adv. Military Law)(Thaba Tshwane)

Key judgments:

Candidate Bio:
Ambition and smarts have ensured Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) Judge Mahube Molemela is a rising star in the judiciary.

If appointed as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, she would be only the second woman to hold the position, and one of 2 women in the Top 4 positions in the judiciary.

Appointed to the Free State High Court in , Molemela was heading the division eight years later, and was praised for the smooth-running of that court. She was installed in the SCA a mere four years after that.

Only the second

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"South Africa has lost the Nelson Mandela of football” - Dr Petrus Molemela’s autobiographer

Dr Petrus Molemela’s autobiographer Charley Pietersen says the country has lost the “Nelson Mandela of football” following the death of the former Bloemfontein Celtic owner on Sunday.

Molemela&#; 83&#; was Honorary Life President of the club and a hugely influential figure in their history&#; but Pietersen&#; also a former CEO of Celtic&#; says his work outside of the game deserves as much recognition.

There is no doubt that he was at times a controversial figure&#; but also an enormously generous benefactor to the poor in communities around Mangaung&#; reveals Pietersen&#; the author of &#;I Have Seen It All&#;&#; Molemela&#;s autobiography that was first published in

Born in &#; Molemela had no formal education but found huge success in the construction industry at a time when it was difficult for black businessmen to flourish.

He used the profits from his various enterprises to