Vusumuzi Dube
Lovemore Dube
HIGHLANDERS chairman Kenneth Mhlophe cut a distraught figure as members of the executive and board left the team’s Robert Mugabe Way offices for the funeral of Sihlangu Dlodlo who was club chief executive from April.
Dlodlo’s body was found at his Nketa home on Monday evening after distress calls were made and a decision to break into his house made.
Mhlophe who also came into office this year to replace Johnfat Sibanda, looked miserable and was out of words taking time to calm down before the interview could get underway.
“I am devastated,” said Mhlophe as he gasped for breath and confidence to continue.
He said Highlanders had lost a good administrator who had a number of projects up his sleeves that he wanted implemented.
“I do not know where to start,” said Mhlophe who has previously told this writer that it is about time Highlanders unlocked its brand value and became a prosperous institution.
Despite being the biggest supported team in Zimbabwe as exhibited by turnstile figures in the last two decades, Highlanders continues to be a begging bowl case, something Mhlophe said should end.
He praised Dlodlo for a good working relationship with leadership and members at the club.
“We worked well with Dlodlo, he was a businesslike leader.
“I am still mourning him, it is like he is still alife. I worked well with him at the club.
“He had a number of projects lined up for the club,” said the Highlanders chairman.
Dlodlo is a former referee, Chicken Inn board member and at one time chaired the Benjamin Youth Football Tournament.
While many associate Dlodlo with education, sales and marketing at Baker’s Inn and Lobels, football and arts, he was an outstanding Matabeleland Volleyball Association player.
He played as a setter for Sparrows Thabani and Wild Geese among the first prominent volleyball clubs from the Western Suburbs.
Francis Moyo who also played for Wild Geese and Sparrows in the mid-1980s a period in which Dlodlo was very active as a player, described him as a setter.
“I knew Dlodlo when I was still in Form Four (1984). By then he used to come for volleyball games at Bulawayo Club of the Disabled and we struck a great friendship. He began his volleyball career with Sparrows Thabani at Tshaka Training Centre.
“By then myself and Togara Machokoto were with Wolves that was later known as Wild Geese. He had a short stint at Sparrows. Because of our great friendship he later came to join us at Wild Geese Volleyball Club,” said Moyo who founded Highlanders Volleyball Club alongside Raerburn Ndebele, Nzuwa Moyo, Chamu Moyo and Spartans Coach Vullindlela Moyo.
He was a left-handed star with a tricky over had serve and brilliant at set pieces (setter).
His volleyball career took a knock when he enrolled at Hillside Teachers’ College.
His participation at Wild Geese was cut short as he enrolled for a teaching course, where I was informed that he participated further in volleyball.
“Now and again he always passed through Tshaka Youth Centre to watch training sessions and also watch Cont Mhlanga over the durawall at Stanley Hall and Square in Makokoba. He became an educationist early in life. Bengihleka loTogara sisithi uDlodlo was a teacher and a parent of every kid. When we walked through the streets eMakokoba, his childhood neighbourhood he could call a kid and say: ‘wena buya lapha, kawuboni ukuthi ungcolile, hamba uyogeza ubusubuya uzodlala (hey you, don’t you see you are dirty, go and bath and return to play).’”
Legend in football Cosmas Zulu said news of Dlodlo’s passing on had come as a shock to him.
Speaking over the phone from Gokwe where he is attending to an ill relative, Zulu said: “To my dear departed friend, only the good die young. I will miss and cherish the laughing chuckle mixed with a naughty voice and I will hear it echoing in my head like every time I saw or heard your name Sihlangu Dlodlo. Please take that laughing chuckle to heaven. I am aggrieved when a man of real talent dies.”
Dlodlo was buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery yesterday alongside other city legends like Barry Daka, Tymon Mabaleka and Willard Khumalo are buried.
Bongani Ndlovu