Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE first ever ZIFA Eastern Region chairman to lure a corporate partner to the regional second-tier league, Wisdom Simba, is gunning for another term in office, and the ability to attract more sponsorship is his trump card.
Since its inception, the ZIFA Eastern Region’s flagship league – the Eastern Region Division One League – had been running without a corporate partner until last year, when cigarette manufacturing entity, Pacific Storm, came in with a naming rights sponsorship package that transformed the league into the Pacific Storm Eastern Region Division One League.
ZIFA Eastern Region is going to the polls in Masvingo on December 6 to elect new committees for the men’s Eastern Region Division One League, Women’s Eastern Region Division One League, Men’s Provincial Leagues and Area Zones.
Masvingo, Mashonaland East and Manicaland constitute the Eastern Region.
Simba said: “I am contesting for the Eastern Region chairman’s post, as I have submitted my papers. As you know, I was only in office on an interim basis, so this is the time I am humbly appealing for the electorate to vote for me as the chairman of the region. I rose through the ranks from fixtures secretary, secretary, vice-chairman, and now I want to be at the helm. My experience tells me that I have so much to offer the game.
“When I joined the league as a board member, we had no team in the PSL, and now I boast of five. What does that mean? We now have four homologated venues, the Heart, Sakubva, Greenfuel Sports Arena and Gibbo Stadium, where PSL matches are currently hosted.”
After the late release of candidates who will stand for elections on December 6, it was revealed that Simba will square off with fellow military persona, Special Matarirano, for the chairman’s post.
Interim vice-chairman, Patient Dube and secretary-general, Benjamin Chindima’s names were not part of the list released early this week.
Five names were on the list of those vying for the available four board members’ posts – Mollen Makumbe, Stefani Masina, Onismas Nyikadzino, Simbarashe Mandishona and Rodgers Banda.
The Women’s Football Eastern Region has only one candidate, long-serving Masvingo-based chairperson, Rosemary Muzvidziwa, while the vice-chairperson post went undeclared.
The Women’s Football Eastern Region administration has Victor Sanyangore and Winfreda Chagweda as uncontested board members.
But who is Wisdom Simba?
Simba said: “I am a former player who played for PSL sides, Mutare United and Buffaloes. I also played for Division One sides, COSCO Marondera, Buffaloes, ZUPCO Mutare and many other Division Two sides. I am a former Buffaloes FC treasurer and secretary before I was absorbed into the elite leadership.
I held the following positions: Committee member ZIFA Competitions, Committee member and Secretary, Technical and Development Committee ZIFA, Committee member, ZIFA Constitution Review Committee, and Committee member, Security and Protocol ZIFA. I am also a ZIFA councillor. Being the first chairman to bring corporate sponsorship, I hope to bring more for the betterment of the league. The sponsorship brought about the much-needed excitement and enthusiasm in our league.
“The clubs were very supportive, as evidenced by an incident-free season. In the coming season, with the kind of sponsorship we have, we are poised for more.
My appeal to the electorate is that I am humbly requesting their vote as we start a new page, and as usual, I am an accountable leader who respects corporate governance.”
Simba said he has a number of projects that he intends to complete.
“I have projects which I want to conclude with the assistance of the sponsors, one such major project is the completion of Tongogara Refugee Camp ground, where I want to see the community benefiting more.
‘‘There are also several grounds we intend to spruce up during the 2026 season. Apart from the corporate sponsorship, the league also partnered with SimJam Pvt Ltd, a Chimanimani-based company, which weighed in with the player of the month prize money, all of which comes from the confidence that people have in the way football is being managed. The region is now well balanced in terms of PSL representation, with two teams from Masvingo, two teams from Manicaland, and two teams from Mashonaland East Province,” he said.
