Chiefs supporters picked up the daily reads from newsstands around the country on Thursday to ring in the news that former Kaizer Chiefs midfield maestro Jabu Mahlangu has signed for Orlando Pirates.

Mahlangu, formerly Jabu Pule, signed with the Buccanneers after training with them for the past couple of weeks

After recently undergoing a cleansing ceremony to rid him of the evils that have plagued him throughout his career - Jabu decided to change his name and as a result hopefully put his torrid past behind him. Jabu came to Chiefs in 1997 and was initially part of the club’s youth system before breaking into the first team in the 1999-2000 season, where he became an instant hit with the Chiefs supporters. The young midfielder has been besotted with problems which have mainly revolved around drugs and alcohol throughout his short career. In 2002 Chiefs sent Jabu to a drug rehabilitation programme.

In reacting to the news of Jabu joining Pirates, Amakhosi team manager Bobby Motaung said “from the bottom of my heart I would like to wish Jabu all the best at his new team”. Motaung also added that Chiefs held no grudges against the player who turned out more than a hundred times wearing gold and black “We have over the past two years had the opportunity to bring Jabu back to Chiefs but we had to take many things into consideration, joining Pirates might be one of the best things to have happened to him in recent times”.

As the international transfer window is currently closed, Jabu will not be able to turn out for Pirates this season. Chiefs have already played and beaten the Buccaneers twice this season. Jabu will be relishing the prospect of playing The Amakhosi. Chiefs, like the player formerly known as Jabu Pule, will be happy to get reacquainted with each other on the field of play sometime during the 2006 – 2007 season.