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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has mourned the death of the national women’s team assistant coach and former all-rounder Sinikiwe “Sneeze” Mpofu who died on Saturday morning in Masvingo.
Mpofu (37), who doubled as the Lady Chevrons assistant coach and Mountaineers women head coach, is said to have collapsed at her residence in Masvingo.
Her untimely death comes barely a month after that of her husband and senior men’s national team fielding coach, Shepherd Makunura on December 15.
“It is with great sadness and shock that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announces the sudden death of Zimbabwe Senior Women’s National Team Assistant Coach Sinikiwe Mpofu, less than a month after her husband, Shepherd Makunura, was laid to rest,” read a statement from ZC.
Mpofu, one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in Zimbabwe, was born in Bulawayo on February 21 1985. The talented all-rounder was part of the history-making team that represented Zimbabwe women in their first-ever international cricket match in December 2006 having started her cricket journey as a student at Mpopoma High School, together with her former classmates, Siphathisiwe Moyo and Thandolwenkosi Mlilo. The trio went on to represent Zimbabwe and also took up cricket scoring.
A year after making history, Mpofu moved to the capital pursuing further education and joined Takashinga Cricket Club. She also made it to the provincial side, Northerns. After ending her playing career, she ventured into coaching and scoring, becoming an integral part of ZC’s game development structures at provincial and national levels.
Mpofu was part of the technical teams that have seen Zimbabwe women dominating Africa, earning One-Day International status and recently finishing just one win away from qualifying for the International Cricket Council Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa next month.
As coach of Mountaineers women, she led the side to victory in the inaugural Fifty50 Challenge, Zimbabwe’s provincial one-day championship for women, in the 2020/21 season and the following season guided them to the final of the Women’s T20 where they finished as runner ups.
ZC described the late Mpofu as an exceptional and diligent woman who excelled both as a player and coach.
“The ZC Board, Management, Staff and Players wish to convey their heartfelt condolences to the Mpofu and Makunura families on the passing of a gifted and hardworking young woman who excelled both as a player and a coach,” read the statement.
Givemore Makoni, ZC’s managing director described Mpofu as a warm individual.
“Death has robbed us of a genuinely warm individual, more importantly a loving mother, and deprived so many others, including all of us, of one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in Zimbabwe who went on to excel as a coach at provincial and national levels,” Makoni said.
The ZC head of secretariat highlighted that Mpofu’s departure, which has come hardly after that of Makunura is difficult to bear for those close to the couple.
“With her sudden passing coming just a few weeks after the death of her loving husband, who was also a part of our national team coaching setup, this is particularly a difficult and painful time for their young children, families, friends and the entire cricket fraternity.
“In extending them our heartfelt condolences, we wish them courage and strength to bear this devastating loss,” said Makoni.
Mpofu will be remembered for being the first Zimbabwean female cricketer to transition from being a player to a national team coach.
Arrangements for Mpofu’s funeral will be announced in due course. — @brandon_malvin
Online Reporter