The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
JETHRO Christopher Hunidzarira better known as Chemai (Chemmie) is rated among the best players ever to put on the Zimbabwe Saints Football Club colours, but little has been said about him.
His work ethic on the field and game reading won him many admirers. This week Sunday News tracked him to his Gaborone, Botswana base, his home over the last 30 years.
Your favourite weekly paper also managed to get a snippet about the player Hunidzarira was from people who played with him and others who watched him shine.
“He was a brilliant box to box midfielder, tireless and very disciplined, a real model, humble both on and off the pitch,” says Aubrey Sauramba a former Highlanders FC junior and Zimbabwe Saints player.
Hunidzarira was born in Bulawayo on 16 June 1963. He went to St Columba’s Primary School and then proceeded to Mzilikazi High School.
At primary school he played along the Kaviza brothers Kenneth and Peter. He would later play alongside Peter at Zimbabwe Saints.
“At Mzilikazi High School I had a crop of stars ahead of me included Rodrick ‘Drago’ Takawira, Olympic team star Tapuwa Mudyambanje and Peter Kaviza attended the same school. My notable age mates were Nkululeko Dzowa, a brother to Mpumelelo who was an intelligent but underrated player,” said Hunidzarira.
Meaningful opposition came from Msitheli and Sobukazi where players like Nhamo Shambira and Dumisani Nyoni.
Renowned football administrator and Highlanders board member Ndumiso Gumede was Mzilikazi High School coach.
Hunidzarira’s club journey started at Mashonaland United who would later change to Zimbabwe Saints at the instigation of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo. He said his elder brother was a Mashonaland United fan.
“He loved talking about John Bhasikoro. My brother-in-law, Eugene Langa’s father was a Saint. So he took me to Nguboyenja Bus Stop where Chikwata juniors trained and that was it for me.
“We had exceptional players like Paul Malani, he was a replica of great William ‘Wiriri’ Sibanda was the future of midfield. Sadly he died from cardiac arrest while training with the first team. There was Peter Phiri from Mpopoma was your modern day Ronaldinho while Highlanders had a guy called Levy, oh what a player he was,” said Hunidzarira.
Sadly he says these three never made it to top flight football.
Hunidzarira says: “Sad all these guys never made it to senior football but were better than us labo Madinda.”
His driving motto was: “Always give more than your best, make yourself almost indispensable.”
With the Zimbabwe Saints Under-14s and 16s he won national runners-up medals with their nemesis St Peter’s Kubatana.
“They were good but sometimes I think there was matchfixing,” he said with a chuckle.
His childhood hero was William Sibanda.
“I idolised Gibson Homela for his commitment, courage and positive attitude. Homela hated losing with a passion,” said Hunidzarira.
His biggest influence was his elder brother Edward who was technically gifted but had a very bad temper in the generation of Teddy Ncube and William “Matholwana” Luphahla.
“He could dribble, run and score but sadly his temper always got him in trouble. He natured me from home and at the youth club,” he said.
There was no ways he could have avoided the sport dragnet as the eldest child in his family was Social Officer working at the housing office and youth centres.
“We had to be exemplary. We had ballroom dancing, basketball, music, beauty contests and drama clubs. Family encouraged us to participate and we were taught discipline and respect. So it was school, club, sport and church. My parents were seniors at St Columba’s. Being humble and God fearing was in the family DNA,” said Hunidzarira.
He made his first team in circumstances that still have a bitter test in his mouth in 1980.
“My childhood mate Peter Kaviza clashed with Peter Nkomo, I was on the bench and I was thrown in to replace him after that career ending injury against Highlanders. I was scared and I did not do much in that game,” said Hunidzarira who probably was overawed by the occasion as he faced big names like Mark Watson, Tymon Mabaleka, Lawrence Phiri and dribbling wizard Majuta Mpofu.
He says he was the darling of senior players who tried to make him as comfortable as he ever could be in the side.
“I had grown up right under them. From Philemon Dangarembwa, Ebson Muguyo, Andrew Kadengu and Shaluza as I was that youngster that would take on Curfew (Mkoma Gibby — Gibson Homela) and beat him hands down at trai9ning with the ball. Homela made me captain of the reserve team which I still consider an honour,” he said.
Chemai broke into the first team when the Shambos, M’tizwas and Majolas were at their prime.
Coach Tendai Chieza would say: “Chemmie those guys are more experienced than you but you have a lot of endurance. So crowd them out of the game when they have possession. It became a problem for midfielders as they could not contain my energy. Most midfielders were technically sound and crafty and could outshine me but they knew the hard work I would put.
“I remember one Heroes Day Cup match against Rhinos where Stix M’tizwa, Hamid Dhana and Ndunduma boxed me in a 3v1 near the centreline and I dispossessed them and released a long ranger and I scored past Japhet Mparutsa for the only goal of the match,” said Hunidzarira who said his cracker reminded him of Black Chiefs legend Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri.
M’tizwa asked Ephraim Chawanda if I was on drugs. His most memorable game was beating Dynamos 5-2 in a match Mayor Eric scored a hat-trick in a quarter-final.
“A lot had happened the week before behind the scenes following a loss to Highlanders in an Africa Day semi-final. Rambo scored from the centreline, a ball we thought our goalie had covered. We ran to open space for his service only to hear the whistle from the referee for a goal. DeMbare paid dearly for that match,” said Chemmie.
His worst game was in 1987 a clash against Caps United in a cup final. Saints had lost two other finals to the Harare boys with Chikwata having beaten Rhinos in the semis, coaches Chieza and Roy Barreto called him aside and advised that he would not start as per officials’ instructions.
The executive was divided on the issue.
“I was on the bench. Caps led 1-0 at half-time and was thrown in with 20 minutes to go and we started dominating the exchanges. Five minutes from time I broke through and beat Brenna Msiska in the box and passed the ball to Joseph Machingura who shot over bar with a yawning goalmouth.
“Rocky (Ephraim Chawanda) almost beat up officials in the dressing room.”
An artisan now resident in Botswana, Hunidzarira believes that despite a semi-final in the Cecafa Club Championships in 1987 with Chikwata, he blossomed in Botswana where he played in the 1991 Mandela Cup with eventual champions Power Dynamos Of Zambia.
At one time the Batswanas wanted to build their national team around him after Ben Koufie then their technical director had been impressed with his display.
Hunidzarira’s best players are drawn from era of Callies, Dynamos, Highlanders, Metal Box, Sables and Zimbabwe Saints of the mid 1970s
Ernest Kamba, Paul Tsumbe, George Shaya, Chita Antonio, Rodrick Muganhiri, Simon Mudzddzu, Tymon Mabaleka, Tommy Masuku, Martin Kennedy, Majuta Mpofu, William Sibanda, Gibson Homela, Stephen Chuma, Shaw Handraide and Kuda Muchemeyi are the players who come to mind when he talks of the country’s best footballers.
