dyton mupawaenda
Veronica Gwaze-Sports Reporter
BEHIND the gifted Northern Region side Scottland’s creative midfielder Denver Mukamba lies a heartbroken man who yearns for nothing but love.
Despite having mastered the art of planting smiles on his fans when he steps on the pitch, Mundikumbuke as he is affectionately known is still processing his grandmother’s death.
Gogo Kawinga, the woman who raised the Highfield-born-star died earlier in the year.
And her grandson, the 2012 Soccer Star of the Year revealed to Zimpapers Sport that since the death of his granny, he is still to come to terms with the loss.
“When she died, my world came crashing down because she is the only parent I ever knew in my entire life,” he wiped off tears.
“Gogo was both a mother and father to me, she never fell short of love for me despite the things I did along my football journey.
“My world is now chaotic because she is the one who held it together for me and now I have no one to turn to.”
Mukamba scored the solitary goal for the Genesis Mangombe led side in their 1-1 draw against MWOS at Ngoni Stadium at the weekend.
And straight after the match he headed home for his grandmother’s memorial service.
He recalled how the late Gogo Kawinga nicknamed him ‘Mundikumbuke’ following his mother’s death when he was still a small boy.
In fact, he believes that it is on this day that his granny gave him the football blessing that has carried him thus far in the game.
“I was around the age of nine when my mother died, so I became my granny’s responsibility and I recall the day like it was yesterday,” he said.
“She borrowed the lines from Sungura maestro Alick Macheso’s song — Mundikumbuke amayo ndatsala ndeka- meaning remember me mum I am now left alone.
“As she prayed for me, I remember holding a plastic ball in my hands because I loved street football.
“I never really liked school and she came to terms with it.”
Since then Mukamba never looked back.
Denver Mukamba
Making a powerful arrival to professional football, the gifted midfielder exuded a fascinating art with the ball on his feet, painting pictures with his every touch.
His name became a chorus weekly on Rufaro’s Vietnam stand, a stronghold of the DeMbare fans.
It is then that his mates went on to nickname him ‘Baba Dodo’, short for ‘Baba Doiri’, borrowing from yesteryear doilies which were used for home decoration.
During that time, he was also a mean scoring machine.
“What most people do not know is that whenever Gogo prayed for me as I headed to camp, she would tell me that I was to score and indeed I always did,” he said.
“When I lost the plot due to alcohol, drug abuse and womanising along the way, I broke her heart.
“So in 2023, before rejoining Dynamos, we had a candid conversation which still plays at the back of my mind and makes me wish I had done things differently in life.”
Taking his tally to four goals this season at the weekend, Mukamba dedicated the goal to his late granny.
He feels that it was ironic how he scored on the very day that his family was gathered to honour her.
“May be this was God giving me the opportunity to make up for the times I should have made her proud,” he said.
“I have a lot of regrets, so honouring her this way makes me feel better. When I got married, my wife came home to her and she (Gogo) loved her immensely until we matured and moved out.”
Mukamba said he has turned the corner, all thanks to his grandmother.
“She made me realise that I am not a kid anymore and whatever decision I make will affect my three children so letting them down is not a choice. Over the years, I attracted a lot of bad publicity with a section of fans also claiming that I am now a spent force.
“At some point it affected me negatively but Gogo stood with me hence a time to give back,” he said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter