18 February 2020 – The South African Football Association (SAFA) is in mourning after hearing about the sudden passing away of Katongo Kabungo from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).

Kabungo died in the early hours of Monday morning (17 February 2020) after suffering a suspected high blood pressure at his home in Lilayi in Zambia.

“We have lost yet another legend in our region. It has been an honour to know such a peaceful and intelligent soul as Mr Kabungo. He had the ability to educate, and demonstrated the ideals of a gentleman, who knew how to express assertiveness in the classroom.,” said SAFA Head of Referees, Tenda Masikhwa.

“Mr Kabungo was a walking library, who has groomed many of our former and current match officials, not only in South Africa but in World Football. He will be dearly missed and we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues from FAZ and COSAFA, and to all those who knew him,” concluded Masikhwa.

The deceased is a former FIFA referee having started out in 1973 and joined the FIFA panel in 1979.

He was appointed as a CAF Referees Instructor in 1997 and has groomed the current generation of match officials on the continent.
Kabungo joined FAZ in 2010 as Referees Manager and later served as acting General Secretary in 2016.