Chronicle Editor
Robin Muchetu in Binga
FROM the dusty roads of Binga District in Matabeleland North Province to the bright lights of Tokyo in Japan, Robert Mulombe took his maiden flight in 1964 to go and represent the then Rhodesia in the Tokyo Olympics where he participated in the marathon race.
Then aged 19, Mulombe visualised a blossoming career where he would, like other sportsmen, make a decent living through his undefeated skill but alas, he is now a forgotten man, wallowing in poverty with no investment or gainful income in rural Binga.
While Mulombe was the first black athlete from this country and someone from Binga to attend the Olympics in 1964, the Zimbabwe women’s field hockey team popularly known as the Golden Girls represented the country at the Summer Olympics in Moscow in 1980 and brought home a gold medal and gained more fame than him and his colleague Mathias Kanda who was on that historic trip.
Such a development has made him feel that no one is proud of him. A Sunday News crew visited Mulombe at his Bulawayo Kraal homestead in Binga recently to catch up with the 78-year-old Olympian, but found him “away”. People found at the homestead were evasive of his whereabouts and after an hour-long wait, the crew left and were later called the next day and spoke to Mulombe via mobile phone. His homestead is just a rainy season shy away from crumbling to the ground, no livestock big or small were visible in the vicinity only a lone daughter-in-law was present.
“I have nothing to show for the work I did. I went to Japan for the Olympics and finished among the best at continental level, I did not do so well in the overall race because I suffered an injury while I was there and also my coach could not travel with me to Tokyo, he was asked to pay for 50 percent of his travel expenses and he had no money so I went alone. I took 52nd place in the marathon,” he said.
Mulombe said there have been several promises made to improve his life and to honour him for his outstanding work but none have materialised.
“Some Government officials visited me here and they promised to build me a house at Binga Centre, some years ago and they have not done that. I was also promised a fishing rig so that I could catch fish and kapenta and sell and take care of my family but nothing has been done, I am still waiting for those promises. I hope one day they will come to fruition,” he said.
Sadly, Mulombe said he was told that when he dies he would be honoured with a statue of him and will be placed at a museum in Zimbabwe for future generations to see. His kith and keen feel a man must be given his flowers while still alive.
“I was also told a road at Binga Centre was going to be named after me, and a school is also set to be named in my honour, I long to see these things happening. I have only seen a grinding mill that someone gave me and I am grateful for that one, the rest I am still waiting to be given. I hope through your newspaper I can get assistance,” he said.
Mulombe took this reporter down memory lane to 1964.
“I had never been in an aeroplane before in my life, I was very young then. I was an assistant plumber at Wankie (Hwange) Colliery Company. I took the plane from Bulawayo Airport and we flew to Salisbury (Harare) to pick up others and we proceeded to Japan. It was amazing, mind you, we were only two black people and the other 40 were whites. The marathon I participated in was the 26 miles (42km) one. I had to run several times locally to prove that I was able and, in all instances, I was taking first place hence the decision to take me to the Olympics,” he said.
Mulombe stayed for one month and two weeks in Japan and gained “popularity” owing to the colour of his skin.
“The people there had never seen a black person so upon our arrival, we were quite a marvel, we were taken to Old People’s homes where they showed us to their elderly, they had never seen a black man and were curious to see and touch our skins and feel if we were real people,” he chuckled.
Mulombe said now he is too old to do much and needs help to put food on the table and have his medical bills taken care of.
He says he suffers from back problems, sore legs, and poor eyesight. He need a pair of glasses to improve his eyesight.
Binga District Development Officer under the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Samuel Mugande said the internet was a blessing as it assisted them to know they had an Olympian among them.
“His times were during the colonial era, there was segregation and discrimination of black people. He told me that he took part in a marathon at one time in South Africa and came first but because he was a black man competing with white people, he was not given the top prize but instead, it was awarded to the second-best runner who was white.
“It was only about four years ago that we discovered Mulombe in this office, all these years we did not know about him, remember his time was in 1964, none of us were there and it took us time to follow up on stories we heard about him. It was only after research from the internet that we discovered him then we had to look for him in Binga and realised that he was still alive,” said Mugande.
Mugande said whenever they have marathons, they work with Mulombe.
“We work closely with him when we are preparing for our local Binga Kasambabezi Marathon which is hosted in Binga. We have the 5km fun run, a 10km race, 21km and two years ago we introduced the 42km marathon, this is the guy who inspires us. As our legend, we always invite him every time we have this event, but this year I do not know when we are going to have it as it falls in August which is election time. We are consulting,” he said.
Last year during the Kasambabezi Marathon, Mulombe was given a grinding mill in recognition of being the district’s great ambassador.
“We respect him for lifting the people of Binga high because the people here were marginalised and we feel like what has been done for him is not enough. There are some arrangements that we are working on that he receives a fishing rig, we are working with other partners and the local authority to make sure we improve his way of living so that people also realise the importance of sport. It is not just for fun, we want young people to know that you can make a living out of sport.
“He is the light of Binga for the youth, we also have the likes of Madinda Ndlovu who have made their lives out of sport, you do not have to go out there and look for employment, you just use the gift that God gave you. Now as the Ministry, we are saying sport is like employment, let us not make it into an event or an activity, but create wealth through sport. Had it not been for racial segregation during that time I’m sure Mulombe would be living a better life because he was a star, that’s why they took him abroad,” he added. — @NyembeziMu
Bongani Ndlovu