Zim diasporans to launch Trust to capacitate Bulawayo ex footballers

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

Four Zimbabweans based overseas will on Saturday launch a mining-based Trust whose major objective is to capacitate Bulawayo based former footballers as well as teaching them financial literacy.

The Trust, Vukuzenzele Bulawayo Legends Trust is a brainchild of Canada based former teacher Thandiwe Msimanga who is now into mining in the North American country. She is working with three other directors Anderson Bango, a military and aerospace inspector in the United States as well as former footballers Lloyd Jowa and Lovejoy Mugadza who played for Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders respectively.

“I grew up with a number of these footballers who later became household names in Zimbabwe but their lives would later take a turn for the worse, some died and continue dying as paupers post playing days and it really saddened me hence the idea of coming up with this Trust which together with my co-directors are determined to make sure it becomes a success story,” said Msimanga.

She said the vision was to economically transform lives of former footballers, both men and women.

“We want to get them out of the donor mentality where they are always receiving donations yet they can emancipate themselves through a number of incomes generating projects like mining and Agriculture,” she said.

Msimanga said they have already identified mining claims in the Ntabazinduna area and once production starts, the mine will be run by the former footballers and their immediate families.