Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
RODWELL DHLAKAMA is a man of interesting contradictions.
Next year, he turns 50, a golden jubilee he plans to mark not with a grand farewell in the stadium, but by quietly stepping away from football’s frontline and immerse himself fully in the activities of his sugarcane fields in Chiredzi.
The coach, often affectionately called Sangoma, will finally hang up his whistle and football tactics for tractors and tilling.
After years of balancing the chaos of competitive football with the rhythms of agriculture, Dhlakama is ready to pick one life, and he is choosing the one that brings him peace.
His 22-hectare sugarcane plantation at Mkwasine Estate has blossomed into more than just a side hustle.
It is now a thriving enterprise that has not only brought financial returns but also renewed his spirit.
The past two seasons have yielded bumper harvests, reaffirming a long-standing connection to the soil, born from his early days in rural Mhondoro, where farming was not a choice but a way of life.
In many ways, Dhlakama is a walking parable of resilience.
For years, he has straddled two very different but equally demanding worlds — football and farming — succeeding in both by sheer will, careful planning and relentless grit.
From the noisy, pressure-laden dugouts of the Premier Soccer League to the sweltering, sun-baked rows of sugarcane, his dual existence would exhaust most.
But for him, it was simply a matter of making it work.
“I have to make it work,” he said from his base in Hwange, where he currently leads the Colliery-based side in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League.
“When I do not travel, my farm manager and the 21 workers I have oversee everything. It’s not easy; I fell countless times until last year when I finally learnt how to manage life in both worlds.”
It is a world divided by 760 kilometres. During off days, Dhlakama swaps his clipboard for a sun hat and drives down to Chiredzi to check on his cane fields.
It is demanding, no doubt.
But for a man driven as much by purpose as by passion, the journey is worth every mile. Dhlakama’s love for the land predates his coaching days.
In Mhondoro, farming was not just tradition; it was survival.
The harsh realities of rural life quietly sowed the dream of one day becoming a commercial farmer.
Football, however, took the front seat.
He made his mark on the national scene, coaching the Zimbabwe Under-17 team and handling several clubs, including Monomotapa, Chapungu, Ngezi Platinum Stars and, most recently, GreenFuel and Hwange.
But even during those busy stints, farming whispered in the background.
“I used to admire farms from the bus windows during team trips,” he recalls with a laugh. I knew I would get into it one day.”
That day eventually came.
Armed with football earnings and unshaken determination, he rented a plot in Mkwasine and joined a farming scheme that provided him with inputs for his first season.
It wasn’t a fairy tale start; the first few harvests were tough. But in 2023, he hit his stride, reaping a bumper harvest that allowed him to buy a truck and critical farming equipment.
His secret?
The same blend of instinct and management acumen that made him a respected coach.
“Farming, like football, is a team effort,” Dhlakama said.
“I had to learn to trust my farm manager. I used to micromanage everything, but after a few close calls, I realised that delegation is key.”
While his curriculum vitae may lack a league title, Dhlakama’s true legacy lies in the players and coaches he has nurtured.
He was part of Norman Mapeza’s technical team when Monomotapa lifted the league trophy in 2008.
Since then, he has often been the man clubs turn to when in crisis.
His reputation as a survival specialist is well earned.
When he took over Hwange midway through the last season, the team had a paltry seven points. Under his guidance, they collected 28 points in the second half, an astonishing turnaround, even though it was not enough to avoid relegation.
His belief in redemption stories extends beyond club turnarounds.
Players like Denver Mukamba and Last Jesi found second chances under his wing after others had given up on them.
“I always see the human behind the headlines,” he says. “People make mistakes. If someone is willing to work hard, I give them that chance.”
Coaches like Takesure Chiragwi and Genesis Mangombe also trace their roots to Dhlakama’s mentorship.
Now, they stand among the league’s respected tacticians.
“My passion lies in both worlds,” he said.
“So, I have to be present at both ends.”
Now, with retirement from coaching in sight, Dhlakama is not lamenting missed championships or unfulfilled goals.
Instead, he is focused on the task ahead: guiding Hwange back into the topflight.
“I have a huge task this year — guiding Hwange back. And after that, I will leave football a satisfied man.”
As the current campaign inches forward, Hwange sits within touching distance of promotion.
“We are two points behind Bulawayo Chiefs,” he said.
“Our resolve remains unwavering. We are determined to achieve our goals.” Come next year, should he succeed, Dhlakama will bow out not in regret but in fulfilment, having given his all, both on the pitch and in the field.
Sangoma has spent decades decoding football’s mysteries.
Now, he will turn his focus to nurturing life from the soil and seed.
His story is less about career change and more about convergence, where purpose meets passion, and hard-earned wisdom finds fertile ground.
Online Reporter