Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
SEVEN years after his demise, iconic playwright and storyteller Stephen Chifunyise seems to be calling the shots from his grave.
His life and legacy will be celebrated in Harare with the performance of his old play, “Juju Soccer,” at Theatre in the Park, from today until Saturday.
The play explores the use of juju in football, a theme that has sparked heated debate over the years in soccer circles.
Initially performed by Daves Guzha, Mandla Moyo and Teddy Mangawa in 2014 in Harare, the production returns to the stage with a completely new cast.
This time around, the three-hander features Tendai “Tendex” Madzviti, Bekithemba Phiri and Newman “Trindad” Gondwe.
Dr Kelvin Chikonzo directed the play, while Guzha is the producer.
In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Chikonzo described the late Chifunyise as a legend.
“To me, he (Chifunyise) remains the founding father of storytelling and theatre in Zimbabwe post-1980,” Dr Chikonzo acknowledged.
“I will find a way of acknowledging him at the venue, Chifunyise. He had an iconic way of storytelling, and I also actually used some of his works in my studies at the University of Zimbabwe.
“I have been working on this new play for the past month.”
Dr Chikonzo also spoke highly of the new cast.
“The level of talent is good, considering their different backgrounds. Tendex has worked with Baba Harare, and some of her works are on YouTube, while the other two — Phiri and Gondwe — are part of Asante Mo and formerly Iyasa,” he said.
According to the synopsis, “Juju Soccer” explores whether juju exists in football.
It centres on three characters: a football club owner, a sangoma, and a coach trained in Europe, as well as a born-again Christian, while the club owner is deeply steeped in traditional medicine.
Chifunyise, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, reflected on what our players are subjected to whenever they have a soccer match.
“It’s a practice or belief passed down from football generation to generation. People do not want to talk about it openly, but it’s quite rampant in soccer.
“Daily we hear about teams refusing to use dressing rooms, and some not using the designated entry points into the stadium. We all know for sure that it is fear of juju.
“We have seen even supporters reacting angrily when team managers approach the centre circle or the opposition team’s goalpost, pretending to be setting or sprinkling some water within that area,” reads part of his findings.
His research revealed that it was common for groundsmen, during maintenance, to remove animal bones, hair, feathers, and suspicious objects.
“We have seen some soccer players urinating in the field of play and even sprinkling water, all in the name of juju.”
In the play, Godknows Zidhumburemombe, initially played by Mandla Moyo, is chairman of Kambuzuma United Football Club in Harare.
The club owner is a prominent businessman, a former football player, and a pompous, superstitious, and ambitious man in his early sixties.
He is a strong believer in the use of juju to enhance the team’s performance and their chances of winning major trophies and the league.
Godobori Musanawenzou, a sangoma (Guzha), is loud-spoken, over-confident, strict, instructive, expensive, overbearing, and boastful of his achievements.
Extratime Chigumbo (Teddy Mangawa), the coach, is a highly qualified coach but with little experience in local soccer coaching.
The gaffer has previously been an assistant coach in Germany and Sweden for a low-division football club.
He is thoughtful, thorough, respectful, and a principled professional with strong self-belief and confidence in his coaching methods. He is a fitness fanatic who is constantly exercising. He is a family man who is in constant contact with his children and wife.
The coach is asked to do extraordinary things by the n’anga that may even shock the audience — all in the name of winning games.
The new-look cast of three is tipped to give guests a rare treat in the theatre circles being revived by Guzha and Dr Chikonzo.
As the play is being performed, Chifunyise’s legacy still lives on, seven years after his death.
