Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
BARELY three months after leaving his ailing mother on her deathbed in hospital to rush to Sakubva Stadium for a match that delivered Manica Diamonds’ first win of the season — and receiving news of her death immediately after the final whistle against Agama FC — club talisman, Fortune Bhinzi, now finds his career on hold following a spectacular fallout with his employers.
There is no doubt that Bhinzi has been central to the Manica Diamonds project, particularly during the club’s glory years when they came close to winning the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title in 2023.
But the ginger-haired striker is now enduring a cold spell after the club hierarchy opted to terminate his contract, a development that has seen him omitted from recent matchday squads.
In a candid account of events leading to the disengagement, Bhinzi said the root of the dispute is money.
“It is unfortunate that when such things happen, a lot is said. People start accusing each other of different things and end up losing focus of the real challenges we are facing. I can safely say the whole issue about my relationship with Manica Diamonds evolves around money. The club owes me money that dates back to the 2025 sign-on fees,” said Bhinzi.
Bhinzi told Post Sport that his employers terminated his contract after suspending him and subjecting him to a disciplinary hearing over allegations of insubordination and influencing other players to revolt.
“They tabled a termination of contact as their final decision. This was after they had suspended me, and called me for a hearing. They alleged that I was insubordinate, and I was also influencing other players to revolt. However, I refused to sign the termination of contract because all I want is my money and continue doing my work. I love Manica Diamonds, and that is the club that gave me the platform to be where I am in my life right now,” he said.
The eloquent striker said he turned down offers from other clubs because of his loyalty to Manica Diamonds.
“My love and commitment to the club can never be questioned. I have been here when things were tough, but we carried on like one family. I feel I am unnecessarily being sacrificed for things I know not of. Perhaps, it is the divide and rule concept that is being employed, and I am part of those who are no longer needed. If that is the case, then let me have what I am owed.
“I had so many offers to move, but to me, Manica Diamonds, was home. There is no place like home. I understand the unfortunate situation that I am currently facing, where I can be frozen out of action after the transfer window closure. Painfully, this comes after turning down some offers to stay at Manica Diamonds,” said Bhinzi, bemoaning the culture of gossip and backbiting now prevalent at Manica Diamonds.v Drawing comparisons between the ZCDC era and the current ownership, Bhinzi decried what he termed unprofessional interference in technical and administrative matters.
“I have been at Manica Diamonds for almost five years. During the years that we were being sponsored by ZCDC, I did not know the company’s chief executive. Not because if I wanted to meet and know him I could not. There was no reason to meet him. The chief executive did his work and played his role for the club. His role did not include interacting with players. His role did not include storming the changing rooms and exchanging harsh words with players, even during half time. His role did not include phoning technical personnel in the midst of a match to give instructions on who should be substituted.
“The challenge that we now face as a club is that there is too much gossip and backbiting. We now have office bearers who are not staying in their lane. At one point, you are interacting well with the leaders, and the next day you see someone very angry at you because they have been told something negative about and they believed it,” he said.
For Bhinzi, the change of ownership has been marked by broken promises and breach of contract.
“I vividly remember when the club leadership came to my mother’s funeral. Speaker after speaker promised to guide me along the right path while taking care of me and my family’s needs through remuneration. But the opposite is unfolding. We were told after the change of club ownership that our dues will be settled by the new owners. It did not happen instantly. Several promises were made, but not fulfilled. Dates were set, but nothing came through. The last date that was set was June 30 for settlement of what we are owed, but nothing came. Together with my teammates, we have been patient in difficult times, and for me the termination of contract is what I get as a thank you,” he said. Although reliable sources told this newspaper that salary adjustments were made under the new ownership — from US$1 500 to US$800 monthly salary and US$600 to US$200 winning bonus — Bhinzi declined to discuss figures.
“That is a bit confidential, in terms of the figures that we are earning as employees. However, I can assure you that a lot of compromises and sacrifices were made by the payers for the sake of progress during the club ownership transition,” said Bhinzi.
Bhinzi, who is nearing completion of a modest house in Chikanga, also spoke passionately about the need for Mutare football personalities to speak well of one another.
“It is sad and painful that we pull each other down. I know we have been accused of not being responsible with our lives. I know we have been accused of drinking excessively, and we have been accused of being so much into women. The truth of the matter is that we are also responsible with our lives. We know what is good for our careers and our families. But people should also understand that we are human just like anyone else. I have also seen that people who follow football in Mutare hardly see or say any good things about each other. Let us start speaking well of each other as brothers and sisters or else we will never raise great personalities among ourselves,” he said.
However, as Bhinzi spills the beans, Manica Diamonds hierarchy denied that Bhinzi’s ouster was all about money owed to the player, but disciplinary issues. Manica Diamonds vice president and spokesperson, Tapiwa Mbidzo said: “We wish to put it on record that the issue about Fortune Bhinzi is all purely about indiscipline.
“He refused to train with other players together with Jefrey Takunda. They did this in the presence of our president. They walked away from the team training session at Sakubva Stadium when we were about to play ZPC Kariba. Surely, what kind of disrespect to a man who had driven all the way to stadium to explain to the payers that he will honour his obligations to pay their dues?
“This is the reason we suspended the two players, and later decided to terminate their contracts because they did not share the same vision with the rest of the team. Nowhere in his contract is it stated that he can refuse to do his work because of salary delays.”
The clubs’ general manager, Donald ‘Azzurrie’ Manhende, weighed in saying: “This issue stretches a little way back to the time the former owners ZCDC used to sponsor the club, especially at the time the club experienced financial challenges.
“This led to the takeover by Agrum, a company owned by Evans Kamombo. So everyone entitled to a salary at Manica Diamonds FC was not paid as per the agreement, and the new owner started to settle the dues in batches, starting from Mutare City Council, ZIMRA, police, hotels and match officials who officiated in some of the Eastern Region Soccer League matches for Manica Diamonds Under-19.
“It was a matter of patience, but some players did not apply that. Out of the 30 players signed by Manica Diamonds Club, at least 25 player’s debts have been settled.
“I believe Bhinzi felt betrayed when he realised that some are being paid before him, and he was expecting to be paid first as a senior player. During my absence, our club president addressed the matter at Sakubva stadium after a training session in the run-up to a league match against ZPC Kariba, and that is when Bhinzi refused to be included in the team before his dues are settled.
“So to say he was betrayed, according to me, I do not take it that way. Surely, out of all players, only Bhinzi was chased away from the club because he asked for his money?”
