Tributes pour in for Mitchells Plain athletics coach, Shafiek Murphy

Published Sep 17, 2020

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Cape Town - The athletics coach who made headlines last year when a Grade 9 learner from Sans Souci High School saved his life after he slipped into a diabetic coma, has died.

Shafiek Murphy, 49, of Westridge in Mitchells Plain, died on Tuesday afternoon, his family said.

His daughter, Ayesha Brown, said he had a heart condition. He had a triple bypass but had to have more surgery. This was unsuccessful and he died on the operating table.

“It’s still raw. It feels unreal,” she said. Murphy was the head of sport at Sans Souci High School for Girls, in Newlands, from January last year.

Before that he was the coach and head of sport at Princeton High School in Woodlands, and Spine Road High School in Mitchells Plain.

Sans Souci principal Ruschda O’Shea said: “He was always looking at ways to get more girls involved by expanding our sport programme.

“He was involved with SA Rugby Legends and their Vuka Programme.

“He will be sorely missed at Sans Souci and will not be forgotten for his contribution, not only to our school, but the countless lives he touched through sport.”

Spine Road High principal Mark Fairbairn said: “He invigorated our learners. No task was too big for him.”

He leaves behind his wife Nawaal and three children.

Cape Argus

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