Online Reporter
Mzala Tom
Highlanders FC is a football club based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was formed in 1926. The team is known by its multitude of fans as ‘iBosso’.
The team was founded in 1926 as Lions Football Club, composed mainly of boys born in Makhokhoba (Bulawayo’s oldest township). The team later produced some of the greatest names in football history.
The team was founded by King Lobengula’s grandsons Albert and Rhodes, whose father was Prince Njube. In 1936 the team players decided to change the name to Matabeleland Highlanders Football Club.
Albert & Rhodes had been exposed to football in South Africa where they had been sent to pursue their studies. Albert studied Agriculture at Tsolo Agricultural School and Rhodes completed studies in Bookkeeping at Lovedale Institute. It is said that Rhodes used to visit Southern Rhodesia and during his visits he got to know about the precious stones buried at the supposed grave of his grandfather King Lobengula at Pupu in Lupane, along Tshangane River
Rhodes took all the precious stones at the ‘grave’ and sold them to raise money to start the soccer club in 1926. This is because there was no sporting entertainment in local communities and as such they desired to bring in a new and exciting sport for fellow Africans.
In 1937 the team adopted the black and white colours and the slogan ‘Siyinqaba’ meaning ‘ We are a fortress’. The black and white colours were inspired by the apparel of King Lobengula’s finest regiments Amawaba (black and white).
The same slogan was adopted by Mbabane Highlanders in Swaziland. Orlando Pirates which was also formed in 1937 also adopted the same colours.
Other Highlanders slogans are: ‘iBosso’, ‘iBosso ngenkani’, ‘Tshilamoya’, ‘Ongafuniyo kayekele’ and ‘ iBosso yiBosso’. On its 90th anniversary the Bosso team visited Albert Njube Khumalo’s grave in Gwatemba, Filabusi to commemorate his great work of setting up the team.
In 1975, at the instigation of Joshua Nkomo the prefix ‘Matebeleland’ was dropped & the team became known as
Highlanders FC. The slogan ‘Ithimu yezwe lonke’ was thus birthed.
Another Bulawayo club Mashonaland United FC was also persuaded to drop ‘Mashonaland’ United FC. The team thus changed its name to Zimbabwe Saints FC. Nkomo and Dr. Herbert Ushewokunze felt that tribal names in football divided Africans and as such they had to be abandoned.
