Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER footballer Ephraim Mwale who died in South Africa recently at the age of 58 will be buried at Bulawayo’s Umvutsha Cemetery tomorrow.
The late forward’s sister, Cecilia confirmed yesterday that her brother who died in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday last week, would be buried tomorrow. She said all paperwork had been sorted out and a memorial service was held at a Johannesburg parlour yesterday.
Mwale was born at Tshabalala Clinic in Bulawayo on 24 July 1966.
He attended Masuku Primary School in the suburb and proceeded to Ihlathi High School also in Tshabalala. With soccer a favourtire pastime for the boys in Tshabalala, Mwale joined other boys to sharpen his skills and shone as a youngster giving an indication of a great talent in the future.
“After Ihlathi he worked at Cotton Printers whom he played for before joining Merlin Husky and Eagles,” said Cecilia.
After Eagles, Mwale joined Black Mambas with Kenneth Thebe, Collet Dube, Nhlanhla Sithole and Joseph Dube among the Bulawayo boys.
Ephraim Mwale
In 1992 having moved to AmaZulu FC in South Africa under the legendary former Bafana Bafana coach, the late Clive Barker where he wrote himself into South African folklore when his pile driver against Kaizer Chiefs landed them the CocaCola Cup.
An injury cut short his career in 1993.
He was forced to look for employment and he joined a security company in Johannesburg and operated at the OR Tambo International Airport for a very long time according to Cecilia.
“In 1993 he suffered an injury that forced him into retirement. Thereafter he worked for a security company at the OR Tambo International Airport,” she said.
He retired from the job in 2020 and started his own business and was ever up and down building his home in Sizinda.
His body is expected in the city today and he will be taken to a city parlour ahead of burial tomorrow.
Cecilia described her brother’s death as a big loss to the family as everyone looked up to him.
Ephraim is the elder brother of Thomas Chimenya who played for Railstars and ZPC Hwange as a leftfooted striker.
“Thomas is my younger brother, we are Mwale-Chimenya, we use a double barrel surname. We had six boys and as many girls,” said Cecilia.
