The Sunday News
Nkosilathi Sibanda
CASTLE Lager Premiership side Hwange’s supporters have pledged their full backing for the team once again, despite the high player turn over that almost dampened preparations for the upcoming season.
At the start of the year, Hwange failed to renew contracts for a majority of their players, with 10 of them leaving in a huff, in protests largely emanating from the club’s failure to pay outstanding signing-on fees and bonuses on time.
Players who stayed behind were last week paid their outstanding bonuses for last year’s matches.
Senior and experienced players opted out, leaving the coalminers to start training with a handful of youngsters, mostly from the team’s junior ranks and others coming from teams at the mining town. Even though the team got off to a bad start in the year, supporters have expressed their unwavering support and were of the belief that the team to be assembled will deliver positive results.
The supporters’ solidarity message came at a time when they had just held their annual general and elective meeting. Last week, new members were elected to run the affairs of the association, which is viewed as a key stakeholder at Chipangano.
The Hwange Supporters Association body re-elected Lisitu Ndlovu as the chairperson.
Other members in the leadership are vice chairman – Francisco Ngamula Muleya, Karen Mwanjali (secretary), Simon Ngoma (vice-secretary), Denmark Muleya (treasurer) and the organising secretary, Shepherd Ncube.
Ndlovu, told Zimpapers Sports Hub that they will urge all Chipangano supporters to be patient as the team is being assembled for next season’s campaign.
“This is our team and it deserves all the support. As the retained chairperson, on behalf of the supporters’ executive, I would like to call upon everyone in Hwange who follows the team to maintain their resolve. Of course, like every team in the Premiership, we are bound to encounter problems but, nothing will break the bond. We never tire in our support,” said Ndlovu.
He thanked management at Hwange Colliery Company (HCCL), saying the company appreciates the immediate needs of the club, at a time when even the company was navigating through harsh economic environments. He commended players for making sure the team finished at a respectable position last season.
“To the team we say thumbs up to the players and the technical who worked hard as we finished the 2023 season in the top 10. The season was tougher especially on our first home games in which we had to use stadia in Bulawayo as our home venue. As supporters, due to economic constraints and other issues beyond our control, we didn’t manage to travel to most of the away games and that gave a bad picture as the supporters’ executive.
“Nevertheless, every year is filled with trials and tribulations. With the grace of the Lord we will manage to pull through this time around as the 12th man of the team. We would like to thank the HCCL management and all who supported the team in other means,” said Ndlovu.
Eight committee members were chosen in the new supporters’ executive, based on the fans’ chapters within Hwange townships. Among these members are Edwin Phiri (Lwendulu), Barbara Nyoni (Madumabisa), Noel Matenuka (Makwika), Innocent Ngwenya (Lusumbami), Simbarashe Neluswi (Sinderella), Joseph Zulu (Railways), Bangani Nyoni (St Marys) and David Zulu of Empumalanga section.-@NkosieLegend
