The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
FORMER Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints striker Tobias Mudyambanje has thrown his hat into the ring, to contest the Makokoba Ward 8 council seat in Bulawayo in next month’s harmonised elections.
With politics often dubbed a “dirty game”, Mudyambanje makes a seismic shift from the “beautiful game” of football. The 52-year-old told Sunday News last week that he successfully filed his nomination papers to contest as an independent candidate on 30 July.
Mudyambanje said he was contesting in the Local Government elections at the request of people in Ward 8, whom he claimed were fed up with previous councillors for putting their selfish interests ahead of the needs of the area.
Most urban councils have for close to two decades been run by the MDC-T. The erstwhile prolific striker said his passion for developing his area, which he said was lagging too far behind, also pushed him to vie for the council seat.
“Motivation came out of the will of the constituency which has sent me to represent their will in the council chambers as they are fed up with the past representation which was not prioritising the will of the electorate and instead putting individual benefits ahead. The area has been marginalised for a long time because of candidates who don’t stay in the area which they are supposed to represent. So those elected don’t quite appreciate the needs of locals, instead they prioritise their parties and themselves, following party hierarchy instead of listening to the people who elected them into office,” he added.
Mudyambanje believes his background as a football star playing for community teams would give him an edge ahead of other contestants in the forthcoming plebiscite.
“My background is community related, hence the teams I have played for. Community comes first than individual gain. The community teams I have either played for or coached made me the person I am now, hence I have to plough back to the community through ably representing them in council,” he said.
Mudyambanje decried the dereliction of social amenities and other public facilities in Makokoba adding that his priority when voted into office would be to resuscitate the facilities.
He said in his tenure, when elected, he would also prioritise the rehabilitation of the sewer system in the area as well as refurbishment of the road network.
“The Barbourfields tennis court is dead, so are our youth clubs. Women’s clubs which used to create employment in the community are no longer there.
“Look at the Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre Home Industries, it has become a pale shadow of its former self. A lot of people’s lives were sustained by that project, but it’s not the same anymore. I will make sure that we revamp such facilities for the community.
“The roads are in a poor state. The sewer system needs urgent attention. This can only happen when you have a selfless representative,” he said.
Mudyambanje said if elected into office he would work with members of the community, regardless of political affiliation, elected member of the National Assembly for Makokoba constituency, the Senator for the area as well as other Government offices to improve the livelihoods of people in his ward.
He added that the thrust of his programmes, when elected, would be to empower women, youths and other vulnerable groups in the community.
“I want to empower youths not by word of mouth but by action. Women too should be empowered economically. I’m also looking at initiating projects that will benefit orphans, people living with HIV, people living with disabilities, widows and other vulnerable members of the community.
“I will work with the community regardless of party affiliation towards developing our area. I will also work with the elected MP, Senator and the rest of Government to improve the livelihoods of the people in my area, he said.
Mudyamabnje said he chose to contest as an independent candidate as political parties had “failed the electorate”.
“Political parties have failed the electorate as their candidates follow the party rules, constitution, forgetting the needs of the electorate.
“My party is the electorate who would have sent me to represent them in council,” he said.
Mudyambanje said despite venturing into politics, football remained his passion and he was still involved in the beautiful game.
“I am still in football. Of course I retired from competitive football but I’m still playing social soccer for Wolves, a community team from my ward. Most of my time is spent working for and assisting the community on their needs whenever I can,” he said.
Mudyambanje who was born and grew up in Nguboyenja horned his footballing skills at Mthwakazi Youth Centre and Mzilikazi High School.
He went on to play for Highlanders Football Club and Zimbabwe Saints before retiring and ventured into coaching. Some of the teams coached by Mudyambanje include, the now defunct Caps FC and Zim Leopards to name a few.
