Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
HWANGE Colliery Company Limited Holdings has set in motion a plan to revive sport in the coal-mining town by creating the new post of Sports Manager.
The position, advertised this week, signals a shift from the former “sports officer” role and comes as the company and community seek to restore Hwange’s once-vibrant sporting culture.
For years, sport in Hwange struggled to recover from the economic downturn of the early 2000s. Football and golf held on, netball survived in patches, but athletics, cricket, rugby and bowls all fell silent. Now, with new leadership at the Colliery, optimism is growing that the heartbeat of sport can return to the town.
Sport was once the glue of Hwange life, with packed grounds every weekend and facilities buzzing all week. Five communities, Zimbabwe Power Company, National Railways of Zimbabwe, the Civil Service, service providers and the Colliery, invested in recreation both for wellness and for competition. Beyond fitness and pride, sport even provided jobs.
The company’s advert spells out the ambition, “Hwange Colliery Company Limited is inviting applications for the position of Sports Manager. The incumbent will play a pivotal role in driving the Company’s sports revival strategy, promoting wellness initiatives, and advancing our sustainability goals through structured sports and recreation programmes.”
The job comes with weighty expectations; planning and managing tournaments, leagues and recreation, designing programmes for all ages, and ensuring compliance with rules and safety standards. The manager will also recruit and supervise coaches, referees and volunteers, raising hope that community competitions such as the famed Wankie Amateur Football Association (later Hwange Amateur Football Association) could be reborn to feed Chipangano, the town’s flagship club.
Hwange Football Club was once a feared force, producing stars like Daniel Rendo, Chutika Tembo, David Zulu, Machona Sibanda, Masiyiwa Sakala, Posani Sibanda, But Sibanda, Amos Rendo, Barry Daka, Nyaro Mumba, Isaac Phiri, David Khumalo, Nathaniel Maduku, Sam Mutende, Twyman Ncube and Jimmy Sibanda. The team’s three FA Cup titles, in 1970, 1973 and 1991, remain proud milestones.
The town’s sporting pedigree went far beyond football. Hwange’s athletics programme pioneered Black participation in major events, with the late Cyprian Tseriwa, Mathias Kanda and Rabson Murombe running for the Colliery. Sprinters Adon Treva, Vuyani Fulunga and Charles Mafika made the provisional Munich 1972 Olympic team, while Elijah Nkala emerged in the 1980s. Distance runners Thethelani Moyo and Zephania Ncube became cross-country champions.
For decades, Hwange Colliery has been the engine of sport in Matabeleland North. And as the town prepares for a new era, the message is clear: when Hwange sport rises, the whole province becomes unstoppable.
