Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Lovemore Dube
THE Zimbabwe Football Association Southern Region chairman, Lloyd Munhanga, has challenged the Bulawayo City Council to consider naming some streets after local football heroes.
He made the call at the Zifa offices on Friday afternoon during a gathering to honour football legends.
It was the initiative of the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association (Bulawayo Province) who honoured Ali “Baba” Dube, Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri, Cosmas Zulu, Gibson Homela, Silas Ndlovu and Lawrence Phiri. They were given gifts from proceeds raised by the provincial coaches body whose head Joseph Nkomazana said more such events would follow.
“Bulawayo City Council are quasi-Government, I am disappointed, I have never heard of a street named after one of our greats,” said Munhanga.
“We have to recognise our own, walking on a street named after Homela and Silas Ndlovu, we are now detached from our own history, these are our heroes, they kept us entertained during our troubled times of the struggle, let’s give them that respect.”
There was a general feeling among those who were at the function that the local authority should move quickly and change more street names so that they appeal and honour city heroes.
A majority of city residents do not know the history of a majority of people whose legacies are being perpetuated by street names.
Munhanga is not the first one to call for that. Former Matabeleland North Resident Minister Cain Mathema once called for the naming of stadia stands after some of the city’s greatest names who include, Gibson Homela, Madinda Ndlovu, Peter Ndlovu, Adam Ndlovu, Tymon Mabaleka, Barry Daka, William Sibanda, Ephraim Chawanda, Agent Sawu, Boy Ndlovu, Doctor Melusi Sibanda and Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri.
The Sport and Recreation Commission’s Sam Dzvimbu and the Ministry of Sport’s Isaiah Mpofu who were at the function concurred that the Hall of Fame concept was long overdue and was high up for consideration for implementation. In Zimbabwe sportspersons are forgotten the day they retire their spikes or running shoes.
Munhanga took time to chide Zifa for operational gaffes. Two weekends ago, Zifa organised national Under-17 teams’ trials.
Bulawayo was to be the hosts and at the last minute the event was moved to Harare.
“We were made to rush to book White City for training and play at Barbourfields on the weekend. Twelve hours before the trials, we were told the games venue has changed, children were now expected to travel overnight to Harare and compete,” said a furious Munhanga.
He said he had been looking forward to the technical director Jethro Hunidzarira to be in Bulawayo to address the issue. “Why are we being treated like second-class citizens?” lamented Munhanga. Matabeleland North and Bulawayo who already had the kids in the city, were left to scrounge for funding at the last minute, something that did not please provincial bosses, Pervious Ncube (Matabeleland North) and Francis Ntuta (Bulawayo). Ntuta said it was not fair for parents to be told at the 11th hour that their children were now going to Harare for the trials. He lauded the coaches body for honouring the legends.
He described them as a source of inspiration whose wise counsel could go a long way in shaping football.
“When we talk of the 1970s football, we are talking about Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders, these old men will give direction,” said Munhanga.
He appeared also to take a dig at those planting their candidates in the region for the forthcoming elections when he said: “We have situations where names come from other regions, I won’t mention names,” said Munhanga.
Zimbabweans will vote on 25 January for a new Zifa board, an election that has attracted a lot of interest. Hopes are high that this time legends will be taken seriously in the soccer ecosystem without being exploited.
mbulelo smpofu
