Sukoluhle Mthethwa
Women have been challenged to contest executive positions at Highlanders FC as the Bulawayo football institution celebrates its centenary and looks toward a second century where inclusivity and equal representation become part of its legacy.
Despite the club’s 100-year history, no woman has ever held an executive position, with female participation largely confined to secretariat roles, prompting calls to break a tradition that has kept women from the highest levels of decision-making.
The challenge comes as Zimbabwe and the Southern African Development Community continue to promote gender equality through legislation, policies and institutional reforms aimed at expanding women’s participation in leadership.
The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, signed in August 2008, seeks to empower women, eliminate discrimination and advance gender equality and equity through the development and implementation of gender-responsive legislation, policies, programmes and projects across the region.
The protocol aligns with Section 17 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, which requires the State to promote gender balance and the full participation of women in all spheres of Zimbabwean society.
While football administration in Zimbabwe has seen women break into prominent positions, Highlanders remains without a female executive member, despite having women who are paid-up
members of the club and supporters who have contributed to its growth over generations.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) previously appointed Henrietta Rushwaya as its chief executive officer, while Yvonne Manwa currently occupies the position, demonstrating women’s participation in the administration of the national game.
In 2015, the late Musa Ntonga broke new ground when she became chairperson of former Premiership side Whawha FC, making her the only female chairperson in the 16-team league at the time.
Highlanders has also made progress in opening up its administrative structures to women, with Nozibelo Maphosa appointed media and liaison officer in 2022, bringing the club closer to an almost entirely female secretariat in a position previously held by a man.
Other clubs have similarly appointed women to key administrative roles, including Chido Chizondo, who served as media and liaison officer at FC Platinum, Joyce Kapota at CAPS United, Yvonne
Mangunda as Dynamos’ marketing and communications manager, and Thandiwe Moyo, who serves as Bulawayo City’s spokesperson.
However, the challenge facing Highlanders is no longer simply about employing women in administrative positions but about creating opportunities for them to participate in the strategic decisions that shape the institution’s future.
Zimbabwe Gender Commission chief executive officer Virginia Muwanigwa said women were visible in sport through their participation and contributions, but remained under-represented in leadership positions.
“The challenge comes in that women participate in sport. For example, Zimbabwe just played Malawi in the Los Angeles Olympic qualifiers. They are visible in terms of their contribution, but the discrepancy is in leadership positions.
“Not just in soccer, but in society as a whole. It is a problem we want to solve. That is why the Government came up with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission. We will continue to implement our commitment as a Commission because the Zimbabwe Constitution says there should be no discrimination.
“I would like to urge Highlanders that, going forward, men and women should be represented in the line-up in decision-making,” she said.
Former Mighty Warriors captain Nomsa ‘Boyz’ Moyo said women needed to overcome their apprehension and confidently put themselves forward for leadership positions at the club.
“I think women are scared to take up such positions. They are afraid to just give it a try. Highlanders is a very big institution and, from the old days, no woman has ever contested for executive positions.
“There are women who are fully paid-up club members, but they fear it because it is a male-dominated industry. What they need to know is that they might bring positive changes to the club. It might not happen overnight, but they may make a difference.
“We should remember that there are Highlanders Royals, who should then represent them? They shy away because it is a male-dominated field, and some think their voices will not be heard,” Moyo said.
Former women’s football administrator Susan Chibizhe said women continued to face barriers when seeking leadership positions at some of the country’s biggest football clubs.
“I have realised that clubs like Highlanders and Dynamos do not believe in women partaking in the running of the club. Dynamos have had Esther Mawere, and it was an eye-opener. She would come to us for advice as former women’s football leaders.
“We are not saying we are much better as women, but we can do things differently and be unifiers. We had women like Cecilia Malunga. She was very emotional whenever she spoke about Highlanders. She was not scared to talk when things were bad; she would not pretend and say all was okay.
“But most women are afraid to express their views. Highlanders need one or two women in the executive,” Chibizhe said.
She added that as Highlanders entered its second century, the centenary presented an opportunity to make history by ensuring women were represented in the club’s leadership structures.
For staunch Highlanders supporter and former police officer Siphilisiwe Mushore, the debate must also recognise the contributions women have made to the institution, even without occupying positions in the boardroom.
“As a proud supporter of Highlanders, I believe this centenary is a moment to celebrate, but also to reflect honestly. The truth is, women have always carried this club, just not from the boardroom.
“We are the mothers who raise the players from when they are boys in Makokoba, Luveve, everywhere — waking them up for training, feeding them, buying their first boots.
“We are the wives and sisters who keep the homes stable when our men are away at Barbourfields. We are the ones in the stands every Sunday, ululating and cheering, and in the fundraising chapters raising money for the team. We even built our own wing, Highlanders Royals, to show we can run football,” she said.
Mushore said the club needed to translate its centenary celebrations into practical measures that would give women a clear pathway into leadership.
“If we truly want to celebrate 100 years, we must modernise for the next 100. That means creating a clear pathway for women — opening up the election process, reserving seats for women on the executive, and linking the leadership of Highlanders Royals to the main club,” she said.
She argued that women should be leaders rather than merely cheerleaders, adding that Highlanders could not claim to be ithimu yezwe lonke — a team for the whole nation — while women remained excluded from its executive leadership.
Zifa Bulawayo Province-affiliated Street Set FC director Lee Mangena, however, believes the transition may take time.
As the club reflects on a century of football, sporting achievement and community identity, the calls for greater female representation raise an important question about the institution’s future: whether its next 100 years will provide women with the opportunity to move from supporting and administering the club to helping lead it.
