Sweswe leaves Bulawayo Chiefs, SA-bound

SOURCES close to Bulawayo Chiefs FC confirm coach, Lizwe Sweswe is no longer the head coach of the side after a fallout with the club leadership.

He is rumoured to be on the radar of a number of local clubs and some in the South African National First Division.

Sweswe watched Bulawayo Chiefs suffer a humiliating 2-0 home defeat to Green Fuel at Luveve Stadium from the terraces on Saturday, further fuelling his exit talk.

As reported by our sister paper Sunday News, Sweswe is said to have a number of grievances with the club including non-payment of his salaries in the last three or so months.

What appears to have been the deal breaker between him and his paymasters is the club’s decision to release former FC Platinum defender William Stima and veteran striker Kuda Musharu without his approval.

Three other unnamed players are said to have also been told to find new homes again without the coach’s consent.

“The salary issue is secondary to the coach. His main grievance is the club choosing to let some of his trusted lieutenants go without seeking his audience.

For that, Sweswe feels he has been disrespected by the club as at the end of the day if results do not come he is the one who gets blamed. He has already received offers elsewhere and it is highly unlikely he will ever be in charge of Chiefs,” said a source.

When he engaged a number of veterans in January and February he is alleged to have defended his stance by saying they would steady the ship and be released half way through the season. They have barely added value to the side.

In the absence of Sweswe, goalkeepers coach Nkosiyazi Ncube barked instructions from the bench. As things stand, Chiefs are believed to be in the hunt for a coach.

Chiefs are in eighth position with 17 points from 13 matches on the log standings.

They are winless in their last four games with two defeats and as many stalemates.

Meanwhile, the country’s most followed team on social media platform Twitter, Bulawayo Chiefs has struck a deal with a local publishing company Dingani Publishers that will see the club’s players receive stationery vouchers worth US$100 each.

The deal will go a long way in assisting the families of the players, especially their school-going kids, who will receive stationery on a monthly basis.

For parents of school going kids, stationery is a huge part of their monthly budgets.

“We are delighted to announce we have entered into a partnership with Dingani Publishers, a Bulawayo-based publishing company whose core business is the publishing of books.

“We are extremely thrilled this partnership also comes in to address the basic needs of our players, which normally tend to be a financial struggle for our players.

“Through this partnership, Dingani Publishers will, among other things, offer stationery vouchers to all our registered players valued at US$100 each.

“We are excited about such partnerships, they address the needs of our players, as this will go a long way in easing the pressure of school demands on our players.

Furthermore, Dingani Publishers will also provide stationery needs for the team throughout the year.

“This partnership also comes in to make a long dream of Bulawayo Chiefs media and public relations drive a reality,” read a statement from Chiefs.

Dingani Publishers is based in the Bulawayo central business district.
— @innocnetskizoe