Online Reporter
Onward Gangata
Zimpapers Sports Hub
PHIL MAKEKERA, owner and president of newly promoted Kwekwe United, says he’s selling his stake in the club after months of mounting pressure and poor results.
The team sits bottom of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League with just seven points from 18 matches, and has scored only two goals all season. Behind the scenes, there’s been turmoil, from coaching changes and unpaid wages to internal disputes and public fallout.
Makekera told Zimpapers Sports Hub that while he hasn’t stepped down as president, he’s actively looking for potential buyers.
“It’s not true, I have not resigned,” he said, responding to reports circulating online.
“How can I resign from my own team? I am simply selling shares to interested parties and have been looking for suitors for a while.”
That statement came hours after a message, allegedly from Makekera, was leaked from the club’s internal WhatsApp group, appearing to confirm his resignation and a planned handover of shares.
“It is with a heavy heart that I’m tendering my resignation . . . I would like to concentrate on my family that I have neglected for years pursuing this project,” the message read.
“I will relinquish my shareholding in the team as follows: 20 percent to the community, 80 percent to business people.”
Whether that message was written in frustration or signals a formal step away remains unclear.
The 2024 season has exposed Kwekwe United’s growing pains at the top level. The club has cycled through two head coaches, Saul Chaminuka and Paul Chimalizeni, both of whom left under strained circumstances. Chaminuka’s departure was especially contentious. He accused the club of failing to provide basic support, while Makekera accused him and his assistant of sabotage, even filing a police report over missing equipment.
“They took kits, balls, even training cones. We had to scramble to prepare for our next game. It’s sabotage,” Makekera claimed at the time.
Chaminuka denied wrongdoing and is now preparing legal action for unfair dismissal and defamation, citing accusations of match fixing that he says were baseless.
The team has also struggled to retain players, with several walking away due to unpaid salaries. Training has often been inconsistent, and internal communication issues have further destabilised the dressing room.
Kwekwe United were recently fined for failing to fulfil a league fixture against Herentals in April, a violation that highlighted the club’s organisational and financial strain.
Despite these setbacks, there have been signs of attempted recovery. The club recently appointed Bridgette Mudhosi as CEO, hoping to bring administrative stability. A partnership with Hellenic FC Academy in South Africa was also announced, aimed at youth development and player exposure.
Still, the team’s on-field woes continue. A string of heavy defeats, including 5–0 and 4–0 losses, have left them with a mountain to climb to avoid relegation.
For Makekera, who says he has bankrolled the team largely out of pocket, the pressure has reached a tipping point.
“This was a self-funded passion project,” he said.
“But now, we want partners. We want to turn this into a real football business.”
The big question now, who’s willing to buy in?
