WATCH: Mugadza, a great servant of Chikwata

PATROBES Mugadza, a former Zimbabwe Saints benefactor who died on Monday morning in the city, has been described as a great servant of Zimbabwe Saints.

He was 90 at the time of his death.

Mugadza, who is the father of Zifa Normalisation Committee member, Rose, footballers Charles, Abisha, Brian and Abedinigo died at Mpilo Hospital where he had been admitted to for a fortnight.

“We have lost a great servant of Zimbabwe Saints who gave so much to the club for no monetary gain but as his gift to the community and the game.

He was a loyal and dedicated member who whenever he was off gave himself to the club and his family,” said Vincent Pamire, a member of the Zimbabwe Saints Trustees Board.

He said for decades it was people like Mugadza who gave wise counsel to the institution leading to its growth that saw the club lift championships and other tournaments in the 1970s and 1980s.

“These were gentlemen whose years in the game and club were the foundation of the team’s success. You could pay them a courtesy call and get sound advice about life, the game and Zimbabwe Saints. His death has robbed the club of a True Chikwata Son, we hope our initiative to revive the club through an academy would be a fitting send off for him as he always wanted his club to stand up and be counted,” said Pamire, who served in the successful executive of the 1980s which won the league and Chibuku Trophy locally and a bronze medal in the Cecafa Club Championships held in Uganda in 1987.

Club acting chairman Ishmael Kaguru said the death of Mugadza had come as a shock to the Chikwata Family.

“Every football or set up has seniors. Mugadza was a Chikwata Elder and we benefitted a lot from him as he provided the club with a bus to matches.

He did a lot for the club so much that even his children played for Zimbabwe Saints at some time. We have been left poorer,” said Kaguru.

Mugadza was born in Rusape on February 2, 1933 and attended school in the neighbourhood.

He taught briefly in Rusape before finding a job as a village clerk in Hwange where he played football.

In 1956 after spending about three years in Hwange he moved to Bulawayo and continued his football career playing for Rusape United in the Bulawayo African Football Association where some teams were formed alongside ethnic lines.

In 1961 he retired as a player and started supporting Zimbabwe Saints. He gave his vehicles to the club to use one of them a Morris that club legend Gibson Homela drove his teammates in to matches around the country at times.

Abedinigo, one of Mugadza’s sons said their father would be buried in Bulawayo either on Friday or Saturday. He said they were waiting for Charles and Lovejoy who are his other siblings to confirm their date of arrival if they will manage to make the trip for the funeral.

“Ubaba is set to be buried on Friday or Saturday here in the city. We still await confirmation from our brothers Charles and Lovejoy who are outside the country,” said Abedinigo yesterday.

Abisha, Abedinigo, Brian, Lovejoy and Rose all played for Zimbabwe Saints.

Yesterday a number of soccer personalities visited the Mugadza family at 233 Nguboyenja among them Pamire.