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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE country’s two popular football clubs Highlanders and Dynamos are meeting in Victoria Falls to strategise on how they can transform themselves into sustainable businesses that can survive in the absence of sponsorship.
Both clubs are separately sponsored by energy giant, Sakunda Holdings, on a three-year deal.
In a rare development in the history of the two rival clubs, board members and management as well as their stakeholders are sitting under one roof this week at a Victoria Falls hotel to plan about the future at the workshop organised by Sakunda Holdings.
They, however, retreated to their respective camps yesterday and today to craft their strategies in an effort to find ways of remaining resilient post-Sakunda three-year deal.
Attending the strategic workshop are also the club’s secretariat teams, legends, supporters representatives and journalists.
Dynamos legend, Moses “Bambo”Chunga, who is currently the head coach of ZIFA Central Region Division One team, Chapungu United, is attending the same workshop after having been invited as one of DeMbare’s legends.
The first session on Tuesday was a personal brand building facilitated by personal and corporate transformation strategist, Zwelibanzi Ndlovu, who challenged participants to have a mindset generational thinking and ability to make a sacrifice today for their respective clubs for a better life tomorrow.
“This is a prestigious gathering, it’s good to be here as IBosso and Dembare but it’s crucial to build a personality. This is not about Highlanders and Dynamos but about you individuals,” he said.
Workshop kicked off with Sakunda also emphasising the importance of professionalism.
Dynamos chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa, said lack of sustainability strategies has been a challenge for the country’s two biggest football clubs.
He said coming together as DeMbare and Highlanders will go a long way in inculcating a culture of tolerance and maturity among supporters.
“The purpose of us coming here is to set ground and have a paradigm shift as we adopt new ways of doing things. We have brought different stakeholders who we believe are representatives of all stakeholders of the club and we expect to get contributions from them.
“This is really fantastic because we should have a culture of sharing best methods and solving problems together. We should learn to work together, we are not enemies, we are only rivals for the duration of the game and thereafter we are brothers. It’s just competition and we would love to have more of these and the moment we start working together it will also improve behaviour of our fans in the stadia, to see there is brotherhood and no need for animosity on an off the field,” he said.
He commended Sakunda Holdings for fostering professionalism in the country’s football by making clubs plan and craft vision, mission and goals.
The Dynamos chairman said according to the new thrust, lack of professionalism and animosity should be thing of the past.
Highlanders acting chief executive and spokesperson, Ronald Moyo, said Covid-19 has taught the club not to depend on traditional revenue streams (sponsorship and gate takings), hence the need for creative and innovative ways of generating revenue for sustainability in the darkest hours.
Online Reporter