Former Gusha Bhora players storm Town Clerk’s office

Mutare City Council Town Clerk Mr Blessing Chafesuka

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter

A GROUP of about 12 former Mutare City Rovers players this week besieged the Town Clerk’s Civic Centre office, demanding payment of their outstanding dues from last season.

Mutare City Council has been facing financial challenges in supporting the football team’s participation in the Pacific Eastern Region Division One League, leading to the current format where the club just operates as a talent development outfit.

When contacted for comment, Town Clerk, Blessing Chafesuka, said the club is undergoing an audit to determine the extent of outstanding payments.

He assured the players that the council will settle all legitimate claims from last season’s league participation, with most payments already made.

The audit aims to verify that funds were not misappropriated or diverted into incorrect hands.

“I was disturbed by the players’ conduct as council has established procedures to follow. Even if they had to wait in my office, I am not personally responsible for their payments.

“We are undertaking an audit to track how council’s funds for the project were utilised. It is possible that council released the funds, but they were misappropriated. We need to establish the facts first. If we owe them, we will pay. They will receive their dues after the necessary processes are completed,” said Chafesuka.

A player, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, revealed that the team is owed salaries and winning bonuses from last season.

“We last received our salaries in March, and the winning bonuses were never paid. We are seeking payment of these outstanding amounts so that we can part ways amicably,” he said.

In its 2025 budget consultations, Mutare City Council had proposed the disbandment of the club citing biting operating costs.

However, after that budget consultations, residents proposed a sports levy to cater for sporting activities funded by council, not only limited to the football club.

Council then decided to nurse the team, but with a shoestring budget, hence the current stance in which the club runs more as a football talent development project.

Mutare City Rovers is currently partaking in the Pacific Eastern Region Division One League under the tutelage of Prince ‘Skeelo’ Tafirenyika, assisted by Brian Mukundu and former Buffaloes goalkeeper, Hope Bere.

Chafesuka said: “We are in the process of formulating an academy where the club will get players. We intend to make it a low cost project, given competing priorities that council faces at the moment.

“The idea is to reduce costs, and this is the reason why we are focusing on players who reside in Mutare to avoid demands for a club house, rentals and so on.”