Zulu ‘Tsano’ gives the little he has to the underprivileged

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
NGEZI Platinum Football Club’s goalkeepers coach Mr Cosmos “Tsano” Zulu in the spirit of giving during Christmas has donated his earnings to the under privileged.

Mr Zulu, whose football career spans more than 50 years, played for Highlanders Football Club and Zimbabwe Saints and has coached Bosso on and off since 1981. His last stint with Tshilamoya was in 2017 before joining Ngezi Platinum Football Club in 2019.

Mr Zulu’s side lost on penalties the Chibuku Super Cup to FC Platinum during a thrilling encounter at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane, Midlands Province.

Mr Zulu decided to donate his earnings from the tournament to the Centre of Miracles Church of Christ (CMCC) founded by former Bosso secretary-general Mr Emmett Ndlovu in 2015.

Tsano handed over grocery hampers to 10 families as a way of giving back to the community.

He said he could not be a celebrity without changing the lives of people around him.

“I bought the women some groceries with the money I got from the Chibuku Super Cup. I don’t want to divulge how much it is but I just thought of donating the money to them,” said Mr Zulu.

He said there is more happiness in giving than receiving.

“When I give, I feel like I have won the lotto. I feel so good after giving something to someone. I don’t have a car and all, but I feel like a rich man by giving someone something and making them happy. Those women I donated to were very happy,” said Mr Zulu.

He said he strongly believes that as a church going person, giving should be in one’s DNA.

“You cannot call yourself a Christian or believer when you are stingy. Someone comes to you with a problem, like sometime back my wife was asked by the neighbours’ children for mealie-meal and she said there was none, while we had 50kg of it. I reprimanded her saying she can’t do that,” said Mr Zulu.

He said the spirit of giving was inculcated in him by his late mother, Mrs Veronica Zulu, who was very generous.

“We learnt from my mother while growing up in Masvingo at Kings Mine. My father used to work in the mines and my mother who died in 2018 had a market stall. Each time she met a suffering person at the market, she brought the person to our home,” said Mr Zulu.

He said he grew up with some children who he thought were his siblings only to find out later that they were not.

“I grew up with a woman I thought was my sister only to learn later that she was one of those children adopted by my mother,” said Mr Zulu.

He said his mother taught him to share and that is why each time he gets some extra cash, he shares with the needy.

“My mother taught us to share whatever little we had with the underprivileged in our community.
We would eat the 10 of us from one plate with other children that weren’t from our family and that fostered a spirit of sharing in me.

It is because of this background that I enjoy giving each time I can afford to do so,” said Mr Zulu.

He said people should not think he gives because he is rich.

“It’s not like I have a lot of money because I don’t have even a car. I just eat and drink well and all I want is to share the little I have with other people,” said Mr Zulu.

In February this year Mr Zulu was touched by a story carried by this paper and he donated a suit to a 108-year-old grandfather from Tjinjika Village in Bulilima district. This was after an arson attack that resulted in his best suit being reduced to ashes.

Mr Lewis Phiri and his family were left homeless after all the four huts at their homestead were set ablaze by an angry boyfriend to one of the old man’s grandchildren. Family members could not salvage anything from the burning huts as the alleged assailant Felix Moyo (25) threatened to kill anyone who attempted to enter the burning huts.

Well-wishers pooled resources together and built him a house and others bought various items.

Mr Zulu has also donated walking sticks to the elderly who spend hours on end in queues to withdraw their monthly pensions.

He has also been on a crusade to provide sanitary pads to underprivileged girls and women.

“I have a movement for sanitary pads and I believe that I have given more than 10 000 of them to a number of unfortunate girls.

I also donate books as well and I have given books to more than 30 schools,” said Mr Zulu.
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