Burial date for Bwanya set

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE burial of ZIFA life member Cornelius Bwanya has tentatively been set for this Thursday in Harare. 

Bwanya died last Saturday at West End Hospital at the age of 86 after a battle with diabetes. 

Family spokesperson, Vincent Bwanya, said they were still waiting to get input from his father’s other colleagues in ZANU PF, where he was also an active member in the province. 

“Burial has been tentatively set for this Thursday in Harare. We are still waiting for the input from some of the social circles where he was also actively involved. 

“We are devastated as a family, by his demise. He was diabetic but to us the death came so suddenly. Of course, the old man had accumulated many years but physically he looked very fit. 

“He never complained of any discomfort and he appeared to have been managing his diabetic condition very well. On Friday he was in his usual jovial mood and even had the honours of giving a vote of thanks at some function. 

“But then on Saturday morning he just collapsed and was rushed to hospital where he died. The doctors suspected that he suffered a heart attack,” said Vincent.

Vincent said the late football administrator, who was also father to the late CAPS United chairman, Shepherd, was a football person through and through. 

Shepherd Bwanya, who was chairman when Makepekepe won their first league title post-Independence in 1996, died in January last year after suffering a stroke. Cornelius may have had influence on his late son’s football leadership qualities. 

“The old man started his football journey in the Harare (Mbare) Area Zone and served as fixtures secretary and then secretary-general. Prior to that he was chairman of Manyene FC in Mbare during the days of SADAFA, before Independence. 

“He later became chairman of the province and in the early 1990s he assumed the role of ZIFA councillor. He was also involved with Division One football,” Vincent said.

Bwanya was a former secretary-general of the Northern Region back in the days when ZIFA only had two zones, the Southern and Northern Region. 

Those were the days when clubs such as Cosco, Smirnoff Tigers, Screentone, Zimbabwe Crackers and Rufaro Rovers were rocking Division One football. 

Former ZIFA chief executive officer, Jonathan Mashingaidze, yesterday said Bwanya deserved to be inducted into the proposed Football Hall of Fame. 

“A man whose knowledge of Zimbabwean football shall remain without comparison. A paragon of sport constitutionalism whose familiarity with the statutes of sports, and the laws of the land was a blessing that the Lord gave him. 

“He would interpret the sports statutes with amazing ease. Never one who would keep the football knowledge to himself as he was very generous with football knowledge.

“A natural leader of the game whose knowledge of the game was bottomless as he would retrace the history of the game in Zimbabwe from the days of the settler colonial regime’s arrival. 

“A man imbued with negotiation skills never seen before, the skills helped our game negotiate past the treacherous terrain of Zimbabwean football in the past. A ‘Henry Kissinger’ of our game. 

“A decorated football elder whose knighthood will have no one debating his induction into the soon-to-be established Zimbabwe Sports Hall of Fame. A life member of ZIFA who always put football interests first before all else. 

“A unique and reliable pillar of strength for all who have succeeded in serving our game diligently,” said Mashingaidze. 

Former ZIFA administrator, Lazarus “DeMbare’’ Mhurushomana, also paid tribute to Bwanya. 

“Go well my brother, you played your part and left a mark in football administration, especially in the Mbare Area Zone up to the famous Northern Region proper, which has always remained a shining example ever since. 

“The announcement of your passing on was indeed a shocker to me and the rest of the local football fraternity. It’s sad to lose men of wisdom in football like you. We are actually poorer by your passing on,” said Mhurushomana. 

Mourners are gathered at Number 19 Howman Road, in National, Mbare. 

Bwanya is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and five children. Two of his children are now deceased.