To achieve and to protect

2019-08-13

Xerox Golden Lions number eight Hacjivah Dayimani’s name is a combination of the words Akiva, which means to protect and the Xhosa name Mpumelelo which means achiever.

And achieve Hacjivah does in abundance right now. The 21 year old black pearl is announcing himself in no uncertain way and it is only a matter of time before his name is highlighted in Green and Gold.

Dayimani’s personality moulded him into the entrepreneur and athlete that he couldn’t be placed in a box.

He has the size of a modern day forward and has proven himself among the physical guys in the engine room while displaying the speed and skill of a modern back.

Hacjivah describes himself as a joker on and off the field and he takes that same attitude when he plays the game.

Hacjivah attended a lunch on women’s day with his beautiful girlfriend Thuli Hlongwa after captain’s practice on Thursday.

It is his light- and kindheartedness and the fact that he helps everybody he can that attracted him to Thuli.

Hacjivah just recently donated a cheque of R50 000, which he received as the winner of the Fans' Choice Category at the 2018 BrightRock Players' Choice Awards, to Home and Hope’s fight against the abuse of woman and children.

Hacjivah makes everything look easy but his road wasn’t always paved for him.

The youngster grew up as one of a number of siblings with a single mother in Cape Town and soon found himself in Cradock where he had to learn to wheel and deal to survive.

He is the first member of the Dayimani clan to make it out of the dire situation and today he financially looks after at least eight siblings in which he calls “black tax”.

“I’ve learned that it wouldn’t help to feel sorry for yourself and soon learned to sell oranges as a seven year old in Cape Town."

At the age of 15 he worked at a paving company in the Karoo, worked night shift at a petrol station and the seeds of the modern day entrepreneur was planted.

Rugby saved his life in many ways, and he was the only one in a circle of friends that escaped his background, with four being killed, five ending up in Pollsmoore and two caught up in the underworld of drugs.

Today he has launched a successful range of shoes and water in a box in an attempt to secure his life after rugby.

A few weeks ago he attended talks with the late James Small at the Gibbs Business School on life after rugby and life currently in the game.

His personality as the class clown and a not so serious joker brought him to Johannesburg where he attended the Danie Theron Primary School in Kibler Park and the Hoërskool President in the south.

He was holding bags but fate intervened and he got drafted into the team and five tries against Alberton announced himself as a special talent.

He lives with the Smook family that adopted him, with an Afrikaans father and Jewish mother in Jeppe, where he finished his schooling.

You often see him wearing his Kippah when it wouldn’t offend the crowds he moves in.

He is a BA General student at Wits University but he sees a marketing qualification in the future.

And in the meantime he still achieves and protects.

Andre Bester