daniel chigunwe
Paul Pindani in BANKET
FOOTBALL has provided the farming community of Banket with many of their heroes – the Nzombe brothers, Shepherd and Simbarashe, quickly come into mind.
They were the stars of a competitive Banket United which used to punch above its weight in Division One and, at one stage, even had dreams of winning a place in the domestic Premiership.
Simbarashe, who is now a headmaster, remains part of Banket United and was the club chairman last year.
Then, there is Jahoor Omar, who was an authoritative voice in domestic football when he was Sports Editor of The Herald for a long time.
Now, there is something about the power of football which is generating a buzz in Banket and making this small community proud once again.
It is businessman Nqobile Magwizi’s candidature to become the next ZIFA president.
Magwizi rode on a Banket United ticket to qualify for the race for the ZIFA presidency.
He is a board member at the club.
Last year, he sponsored the Banket United awards ceremony which was held in the small farming town.
This week, Zimpapers Sports spoke to a number of Banket United residents.
Clemency Mudekwa said:
“Magwizi’s ascension to the top job in football will bring effective leadership and an element of stability which has been lacking in Zimbabwean football.
“It’s an honour for us to have someone like Magwizi, who has the Banket United football team and our community at heart, being the ZIFA president.”
Another resident, Joyce Kauswaurere, said:
“Magwizi has ignited a spirit of hope in our hearts and come rain, or thunder, he will prevail.
“Magwizi met all the ethics and integrity requirements and that matters to us a lot as the people of Banket.”
A Banket United fan, Mike Simango, said:
“I was totally charmed by him and the electoral college must give Magwizi the chance to take the reins at ZIFA.”
A Banket United executive member, who chose to be anonymous, said he was very excited by Magwizi and believes he will help the team get sponsorship.
“We are very happy and excited as a committee that Magwizi is in the race. He has done a lot for the team and we are very grateful to him.
“The executive is fully behind him.”
The ZIFA elections are set to be held on January 25. However, the process must pass a number of tests before the polls are held on that day.
There is a possibility the elections could be postponed.
One of those tests will come today when the legal challenges by prophet Walter Magaya and Temba Mliswa are heard in the High Court in Harare.
Mliswa had filed his appeal in Bulawayo but the case will now be held in Harare at the same time as Magaya’s challenge.
Then, there are the challenges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland launched by Magaya, Benjani Mwaruwari and Gift Banda.
ZIFA have been given until Monday next week to show cause why the appeal by Benjani and Banda for the elections to be postponed should not be granted by CAS.
