The Sunday News
Charleen Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
COMMUNITY team, Airport Stars emerged winners of the Herentals Group of Colleges Soccer Tournament after beating hosts, Herentals 2-0 at Bulawayo’s Nkulumane community grounds yesterday.
Airport Stars walked away with $150 prize money. The soccer tournament which is in its second year running was held across the nation. The tournament saw six community teams which included Nkulumane United, Herentals Group of Colleges, Airport Stars, Nkulumane A and Nkulumane B participating. Teams were picked from Nkulumane, Entumbane, Makokoba and Emakhandeni, among other suburbs.
Herentals beat Nkulumane United in the first game 1-0. In the second game Airport Stars won against Nkulumane United 1-0. Eagles drew nil all against Lions. After sailing through the group stages, Airport Stars took on Herentals in the final match to emerge victorious.
In an interview, regional manager for Herentals Group of Colleges Thulani Chiponda said the Herentals Group of Colleges soccer tournament was being held as part of the institution’s corporate social responsibility programme.
Nkulumane soccer team
“The 5th of January 2019 marks a very important occasion on our school calendar. We have decided to go back to the community that we work in. We serve in a community which we take to heart. We engaged local teams from Nkulumane, Entumbane, Makokoba and Emakhandeni. As part of our corporate social responsibility we have come up with this particular event because it is entertaining to the people and at the same time we are saying we are a college which cares.”
She encouraged youths to use the opportunities they have in order to promote their talents.
“So we are holding this soccer tournament being guided by our chief executive officer Dr Innocent Dambudzo Benza who happens to be one of our players in Herentals FC which has been in the soccer premier league for the past season. The players should see this kind of event as an opportunity because after the tournament we will be able to identify good players who will be able to join our Herentals FC,” she said.
From right: Ward 21 councillor Tinevimbo Maposa, Herentals regional manager Thulani Chiponda, Detector Maphosa head of Centre at Herentals Group of Colleges at George Silundika and Mduduzi Ndlovu also from Herentals
Herentals Group of Colleges is among the biggest privately owned educational organisations in Zimbabwe in terms of enrolment. It boasts over 45 centres countrywide. Herentals has centres in Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Gweru, Kwekwe, Masvingo, Mutare, Chiredzi, Zvishavane, Bindura, Rusape, Marondera, Chipinge, Victoria Falls and Beitbridge.
The Bulawayo Lobengula Branch was opened in January 2010, followed by the one along Fife Street and 4th Avenue popularly known as George Silundika and was later followed by another one in Nkulumane. The Group of Colleges is in the process of building a private primary school in Bulawayo.
Herentals Group of Colleges offers academic tuition and is fully registered with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Zimsec. Herentals also offers professional courses such as Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), Association of Business Managers and Administers (ABMA). All Herentals Centres are affiliated to HEXCO, ICT, Zimbabwe Institute of Management (ZIM) and the Institute of Administration and Commerce (IAC).
Chiponda added that the school was inviting parents to register their children with the school.
“We started registering at all our centres. We are inviting parents to come and register their children with us. We are enrolling Form One to Form Six. We are a school which puts a lot of thrust in education and we are looking forward to expanding our school. This year we are looking forward to opening a primary school. We are also considering opening more centres in rural areas,” she said.
