Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube
A stalwart of the Highlanders team of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Benjamin “Benjie” Mpofu, who died in Bulawayo recently, will be buried alongside his former teammates Tymon Mabaleka and Barry Daka at Lady Stanley Cemetery today.
Mpofu died on May 10 after his health deteriorated following a stroke and some other medical complications.
He was 76, having been born in Bulawayo on October 10, 1948.
According to his niece, Franscina, Mpofu had health complications apart from the stroke that eventually claimed his life.
“My uncle will be buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery on Monday. He had many complications at the end and succumbed to that,” said Franscina.
His only sister, Betty Brooker, who has been living abroad over the last 60 years, described her brother as loving and a man of few words.
She said Mpofu had a delayed speech in his development and the first words he uttered after some surgical process separating the tongue from the pallet was: “Sis Betty” something he had gone on to do for almost 70 years up to his death.
“Benjie was a loving brother and a man of few words,” said Betty.
The former Bosso winger who played for the club when there was intense competition during the days of Tommy Masuku, Christopher “Bha(wa)” Sibanda, Isaac Mafaro and Cavin Duberley on Bosso’s wings was born in Bulawayo on 10 October 1948.
Nicknamed Sikhwama, Mpofu, according to a long-time Highlanders supporter and member, Sibekiwe Khumalo, also the mother of Muzondiwa Mugadza, he could carry the ball on his head up to the 12 yard and score.
Mpofu was also a fine dribbler who created many goals for his teammates.
The highlight of his career was the role he played as a member of the first squad to play under the Rhodesia National Football League structures in 1969, helping Bosso win promotion in 1970 to the elite division, and the group that made Bosso the brand it is today, the 1973 Chibuku Trophy and regional title-winning side of the same year.
From there on, Highlanders became a household football brand.
Some of the players he had at Highlanders include Zenzo Dabengwa, Trust Moyo, Tennyson Mloyi, Josiah Nxumalo, James Nxumalo, Andrew “Srupata” Jele, Nehemiah Dube, John Vela, Boet Van Ays and Peter Bepe.
He attended Lobengula Primary School in Mzilikazi, where he remembers playing with the likes of Billy Sibanda, Lawrence Phiri, Bha(wa) and Stanford Mpofu, who in an interview on February 21 last year said he was so good but unfortunately never got to play on the bigger stages of the game.
Mpofu proceeded to Mahlabezulu when the school that would later move to Tshabalala was near the Mzilikazi Youth Centre.
He continued playing football at Mzilikazi High School and played school team football with legends Paul “Staff Nurse” Tsumbe, Billy Sibanda, Lawrence Phiri and Kenneth Sparks.
Mpofu started his career around 1964-65 as a junior at a club then known as Eastern Brothers, which had the likes of Barry Daka and later evolved to Eastlands, a team that would play In the elite league and be associated with players like Tymon Mabaleka, Cosmas Zulu, Richard Kasawaya and Lovemore Nyabeze.
He described how he moved from Eastern Brothers around 1966-67 as a case of bitterness by Mr Mutsago who was an Eastern Brothers official, which he said helped amplify their greatness as Highlanders became a stronger force.
Mpofu left Eastern Brothers at the end of 1966 to join Highlanders.
An Eastern Brothers official, a Mr Mutsago took a number of the players to Highlanders, among them Mpofu, after losing out in elections for the secretary’s post.
Daniel “Dididi” Ncube, who also played for Dynamos, was among those who moved to Bosso and helped the team gain promotion to the First Division in 1970.
Mpofu was part of the Highlanders team that finished the season with seven points and was relegated in 1971 and stayed up to 1974 after a few months in Hwange, where he played with the likes of Amos Rendo, Rodrick Simwanza, Masiiwa Sakala and Isaac Phiri.
He was part of the history-making squad of 1973 that won the Chibuku Trophy and three successive regional league titles.
On his return he worked at Kango and later a florist in the city until his retirement.
Billy Sibanda described Mpofu as having been a talented teammate who he grew up with at Mzilikazi and played both youth boys and school football at Mzilikazi High School.
He left behind his widow, Daisy nee Dube, two daughters and several grandchildren.
