The Sunday News
THE desire to see Yesteryear greats lead better lives after retiring has resulted in the birth of Vukuzenzele Bulawayo Legends Trust (VBLT).
Thandiwe Msimanga, a Canada-based Bulawayo-born woman has teamed up with former Black Aces, Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints defender Lovejoy Mugadza, former Air Zimbabwe, Chikwata and Young Warriors defence stalwart Lloyd Jowa and Canada-based soccer coach Anderson Bango to form the trust which has just been registered with authorities in Zimbabwe.
It will see Bulawayo legends venture into income-generating projects in agriculture and mining in Zimbabwe as they seek to transform the lives of former footballers.
Msimanga’s passion for football was born out of a childhood spent watching and supporting local football in the city.
Having grown up in the suburbs of Nguboyenja (Sotshangane Flats), Mzilikazi and Makokoba, Msimanga said she felt the urge to work with former footballers to better their welfare some years ago.
“I grew up with most of the players from a number of Bulawayo teams from the yesteryear era.
The likes of Netsai Moyo, Madinda Ndlovu, Willard Khumalo, Ephraim Chawanda, Boy Ndlovu were almost my agemates.
We grew up watching soccer, first as kids and later as adults from within the inner local boys’ clubs like Mthwakazi, Mzilikazi and Mhlangeni,” she said in an interview from her Canada base.
She said back then there was so much vibrancy in the city as football brought about joy and unity within the communities.
The liveliness of the soccer scene at whatever level within the city made Bulawayo the Home of Champions with clubs like Bulawayo Rovers, Zimbabwe Saints, Bulawayo Wanderers, Olympics and the nation’s oldest clubs making a mark on the national scene.
With exposure from her first world base Msimanga said she had a learnt a lot about taking care of those in need and those from marginalised groups of which former footballers originate from.
“Society did not in many instances take care of the players when they were still active.
They were not prepared for life after retirement and their discovery of reality is when they retire after over 20 years in the game.
Their education and life has been sport and nothing else and problems start without any income to sustain them.
“We have come up with this initiative to mitigate against poor lifestyles for former football players.
With the business ventures that we are going into with the former players as shareholders, life must change for the better,” said Msimanga.
She is not new to non-profit making organisations as previously she started Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Leaders and Hope Restorers with some Zimbabweans based in the UK and some at home.
She said experiences with the two organisations and what she saw at some stage of her former friends both late, Mercedes Sibanda and Willard Khumalo, had led her to hook up with Bango, Jowa and Mugadza.
The trust was launched at the Zimbabwe Saints Clubhouse on 18 December.
It was attended by players from a number of existing clubs and some now defunct teams.
She said sport especially soccer the world’s most popular discipline brings people together regardless of ethnicity, religion and political affiliation.
“In our eyes legends do not come from Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints, but from any football club in Bulawayo that existed. Black Chiefs, Bulawayo Rockets, Callies, Old Miltonians, Olympics and Bulawayo Wanderers just to mention a few, we want the players to come under one umbrella and be part of the initiative aimed at transforming their lives on retirement from playing.
“We grew up knowing that we are one people and deserving same treatment.
So, under the Vukuzenzele umbrella, we are resolute about destroying disunity and tribalism in sport as it has divided our communities,” said Msimanga.
Msimanga said before getting onto the ground she had consultations with the legendary Highlanders and Zimbabwe centreback Alexander Maseko, Amin Soma-Phiri, Jowa and Mugadza.
It was after speaking to these former footies that the idea was hatched which entailed selling it to football players in Bulawayo.
“We persevered with the process and registration and finally Vukuzenzele was born with registration as a Trust approved and the launch held at Zimbabwe Saints Clubhouse on 18 December.
Msimanga disclosed that with Bango, Jowa and Mugadza they have a registered mining company which is already operational in Zimbabwe.
She has been working in the mining sector in Canada for over a decade. With her experience she pushed her colleagues to register a company in Zimbabwe in which the former players have shares.
For the present generation of players Msimanga said the trust was keen to help them gain knowledge in financial literacy.
“There is no better time than to capture sportspersons when they are still young so that they make informed career and investment decisions.
“We would like them to learn about investment, we want them to make informed decisions now so that they have a better future.
Problems that we have seen from earlier generations should become a thing of the past,” she declared.
Former Bulawayo City player and coach Evans Netha who is in the executive welcomed the idea.
“We want better for our legends. It is a commendable idea to set up a Trust that looks at our welfare and that of future generations,” said Netha.
Another former player Garikayi Rwodzi, a former Msiteli High School and Zimbabwe Saints stalwart defender said he was looking forward to the challenge. He is the Vukuzenzele Legends secretary-general.
“This has been long overdue. We are happy Msimanga thought about us and started the ball rolling with our brothers Lloyd, Lovejoy and Bango.
“I like the unity among us former players.
We have jumped in without any egos, we have players from a big number of Bulawayo teams some still in existence and others now defunct. We are under one banner of Vukuzenzele as equals,” said Rwodzi.
There have been rising calls for the nation to do better than well crafted speeches at former players’ graveside.
There have also been some for the Hall of Fame falling on deaf ears. These are particularly louder when more prominent figures pass on.
They have been louder in the past week and year at a time the country lost George Shaya, Simon Sachiti, Douglas Chinyoka, Willie Luphahla, David Mandigora, Shaky Nyathi, Misheck Chidzambwa, Isaac Nhema, Isaac Chieza, Nkululeko Dlodlo among footballers and luminary figures in the administration of the game Advocate Kennedy Sibanda and Ndumiso Gumede.
Sibanda was for two decades the man behind one of the most exciting football projects in the country Bulawayo Wanderers/Eagles.
Gumede who passed on last Wednesday is associated with a lot of good things now part of both the Highlanders FC and Zimbabwe football legacies.
But with the Vukuzenzele initiative, Bulawayo Legends will afford a smile when the agriculture and mining activities get to be in full swing.
