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Veronica Gwaze Sports Reporter
SHE is modest and reserved, neither is she too vocal nor does she brag, and yet her skills and achievements give her every right to.
Platinum Queens assistant coach, Stembile Banda, has transformed the mine’s netball club into a dominant force and yet she does not behave like the “queen’’ she is.
Banda works under head coach Simbarashe Mlambo and is also a school teacher and netball coach at Shabanie Mine. And, just like Banda, Mlambo is also a school teacher and netball tutor at Pamushana High School and joins Platinum Queens mostly on weekends.
This means that Banda spends more time with the team.
Ordinarily, she has to make decisions on the team and it is her assessment that largely gives Mlambo guidance.
Because of that, many believe it is Banda’s “platinum touch’’ that has transformed the mine team from a virtually unknown Division One side to a dominating force on the domestic league charts.
“Most of the time I am with the girls. So when I am with the head coach, we plan for the week, and somehow, over the years, our combination clicks,” she said.
“After every game, we review and pick up from the weaknesses and as young coaches, I believe we need seniors who can mentor us into whole human beings because without that we can never go far.”
Currently, the club supplies the highest number of players to the senior national team — the Gems.
Ironically, at a time that she should be bragging, Banda let her achievements do all the talking.
Together with Mlambo; the two are a match made in heaven — humble in their exploits.
“It is a miracle, I actually give credit to Mlambo, my head coach. It is through his mentorship that I have gotten this far,” she said.
Banda traces her roots to her formative years where she used to play for Shabanie Mine Primary School before proceeding to Zvishavane Secondary School.
Despite dominating the local charts, the mining town was still marginalised back then which made it impossible for most talent to go far.
“You know, playing in such a small town far away from the big cities, no one would really pay much attention to us so I never pictured myself beyond Zvishavane,” she recalls.
In 2003, she joined the Joshua Nkomo Netball Club and later Maglas Netball Club, a club she left in 2016 when Platinum Queens was formed.
However, in-between, she also became player-coach for Zimbabwe Open University — Midlands Province.
Later she also rose to be the chairperson for Zvishavane District netball.
Despite all those feathers on her cap, in 2008 she also became Midlands Province NAPH head coach, a position she holds to date.
In 2014, she was the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association Midlands coach.
As fate would lead her, in 2016 she got an offer to coach the then newly-formed Platinum Queens.
“I recall Siziba calling me to say there was a newly-formed team, so they needed me on board and I became a player-coach,” Banda says.
“Our manager, Patience Duri, was playing wing attacker at the time and because of passion, she would sponsor everything from her pocket.
“We never thought that one day we would be a force like this.”
In 2017, Banda, assisting the then head coach, Macheza, took Platinum Queens to their debut pre-season tournament after which they were promoted onto the Super League.
In their maiden season, the team finished on position 10 out of 20.
Between 2018-2019 she rose to NAPH and COSSASA games national head coach before founding the Shabanie Mine Netball Academy that year.
Despite the various coaching gigs, she actually preferred match officiating and sports administration.
However, the netball gods had other plans for her.
Now with Mlambo, in 2019 and 2020, the platinum miners finished off the Rainbow Amateur Netball League in the top three.
It is also under Banda’s tutelage that Claris Kwaramba made it on to the 2019 Netball World Cup qualifiers and the finals in Liverpool as the youngest player at the age of 19 years.
Last year, the team jumped ship to Premier Netball League where they grabbed the pre-season tournament title before being crowned league champions.
To make the statement bold, recently the Zvishavane-based side successfully defended their PNL pre-season title.
Five of their players — Tanaka Makusha, Claris Kwaramba who is also the Gems vice-captain, Progress Moyo, Priscilla Ndlovu, Chipo Shoko and Lynette Tanhira – are currently in camp with the senior national team as the 2023 World Netball Cup build-up intensifies.
Because of her background, Banda feels clubs need to consider scouting talent even at those marginalised areas where most talent usually goes unnoticed.
“Back in the day there were few female coaches and it was not easy to penetrate into the field but there have been improvements.
“As we celebrate the women’s month, more women should consider venturing into sports, I believe the more women come on board, the friendlier the environment can become.”
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