Yesteryear great with Lovemore Dube
WITH Wankie FC’s heroes of the 1970 and 1973 Castle Cup winning sides at the twilight of their careers, the club needed rejuvenation.
Among those tasked with carrying on the good work done in uplifting the football torch was none other than midfield dynamo David Zulu. He had grown within the town’s footballing trenches and knew very much of the club’s culture and had the privilege of being the club’s mascot during the days of Jack Meagher.
Meagher left Hwange town in 1973 alongside Stephen Chuma and Posani Sibanda to coach Chibuku Shumba in Harare who had three years earlier snatched one of the best strikers ever from the Colliery and Zimbabwe Twyman “The Ghost of Chibuku” Ncube.
Chuma who played as a striker and defender with distinction was one of the players who inspired a young Zulu. So did left winger Leonard Tembo who scored many goals from the corner kick spot.
“Stephen Chuma and Leonard Tembo inspired me a great deal,” said Zulu who was born in South Africa on 4 April 1960 but spent all his childhood at Hwange’s A Section in Lwendulu, home to club legend and future teammate, Amos Rendo.
The former Lwendulu Primary School player and pupil pays tribute to one Edward Dzere who had a hand in his grooming as he turned out for Raith Rovers, a formidable side that played its games at Madumabisa Village’s football pitch near Sir Humphrey Gibbs Primary School next to the Coke Processing Plant.
He, like most boys in the mining town, a plastic ball was all there was about sport and recreation and grew up playing games with peers. The Old Ground then the Wankie FC home pitch was a stone’s throw away from home and weekend after weekend, Zulu watched the local league action drawing inspiration from some of the big name players.
His boys’ club was named Rangers and at the ages of 14-16 he was made coach. As a bright spot in the game at 16 Zulu found himself playing for Zulu Royals, a local club run by a Mr Mguni. Among some of the players at the club were Nehemiah Dube and the Khumalo brothers Johannes and Colliery footballing legend David “Dididi.” With his Rangers came a lot of encouragement from a Mr Chisosi and Mr Rebrand. A mascot during the days of Meagher, Zulu at 16 was training with a star-studded Wankie FC.
“It was great rubbing shoulders with the likes of Posani Sibanda, Austin Ncube, Isaac Phiri, Amos Rendo, Rodrick Simwanza, David (Khumalo), Nyaro Mumba, George Phiri, Leonard Tembo, Twyman Ncube, John Garatsa, Sam Mutende, Jimmy Sibanda, Nathaniel Maduku, Stephen Chuma, Barton Mwalukuka, Skeva Phiri and Chris Yoyo. Hwange had so much talent, the local league and village football allowed the club to prosper with local talent. Every youngster dreamt of playing for Wankie FC, that won the Castle Cup in 1970 and 1973 was an inspiration,” said Zulu.
He made his debut against Zimbabwe Saints at the age of 16-and-a-half years and could not have wished for a better start than against Zimbabwe Saints who were the biggest club in 1977, having won the Chibuku Trophy 4-0 against Highlanders in 1976 and reaching the Castle Cup final they lost 1-8 to Dynamos. But with the Castle Cup and league title, Chikwata were the red hot property in local football in 1977.
“My debut Rhodesia National Football League match was a big game where we faced the might of Zimbabwe Saints whom I would play for later. There was Max Tshuma, William Sibanda, Francis Ngara, Emmanuel Sibanda, Ebson Muguyo and Gibson Homela. After the match Wankie coach James Mwape Sakala was content with the way I had played and he said it was just the beginning for me,” said Zulu, an exciting midfielder who was a workhorse, skilful, intelligent and a player who could shoot with precision from 40m out.
As his form continued to attract attention 1980 would be his breakthrough season. He was called up to the national Under-20 side and found himself playing alongside legendary figures Lucky Dube, Japhet “Short Cat” Mparutsa, Sebastian Chikwature, James Takavada, Ephraim Dzimbiri, David Mwanza, Madinda Ndlovu, Boy Ndlovu, Rainos Mapfumo, Thomas Sandram, John Van Heerden, Richard Simpson, Shaky Nyathi, Tapiwa Mudyambanje, Samson Phiri, John Phiri and Edward Katsvere.
“We were a talented group of young players. It is not surprising many went on to achieve legendary status,” said Zulu.
He was later joined by his Wankie FC teammate Machona Sibanda. He said selection back then was on merit and he felt honoured with teammates to have made the cut in the national Under-20 team.
Zulu scored many goals for the Colliery side but reckons 1980 was his best year. He recalls the media writing that the match between Dynamos and Wankie at the Colliery would be a battle between young Japhet Mparutsa and himself.
“The writer had mentioned that the fortunes of the game would depend on the form of either Mparutsa or myself. I scored two goals as we beat Dynamos 2-1,” said Zulu who now resides in Chitungwiza.
He described Dynamos as having been one of the best clubs in midfield and coming up against Kuda Muchemeyi was never an easy afternoon.
Zulu who also played for Raith Rovers and Rufaro Rovers in the Wankie Amateur (African) Football Association would attract the attention of Zimbabwe Saints the following year (1981).
He said company management, some of whom came from abroad, offered him a once in a lifetime chance to move to Southampton in the United Kingdom. He spurned the chance because he was young and naïve.
“If only it had come now when we are exposed it would have been a different life changing opportunity. I, however, thank God that he has taken care of me up to this day. I do not know what would have come off my life after I moved there,” said Zulu.
Zulu joined a Saints that had Homela, Emmanuel Sibanda, Max Tshuma, Stephen Chuma and saw Godfrey Paradza and Joseph Machingura graduate into the first team in 1982. He said he was well received at Chikwata and lost out on another opportunity in life when he turned down an offer to join the surveying department at the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
“I passed the interviews but the thought of traveling with the job versus my football career I turned it down,” said Zulu.
Then in 1984 Arcadia came to Bulawayo and played Zimbabwe Saints at Luveve Stadium. Zulu played a blinder and Mick Poole who had coached him in the Under-20s asked him to come to the airport where he was invited to join the club.
“It was not an easy transfer. Saints were unrelenting, they wanted me to stay, organised a job for me but I had made my mind to leave. Those guys got me a house and a job with a sales company in Harare,” said Zulu.
He would win the Chibuku Trophy final with Arcadia at the beginning of 1985 and reach other finals.
He remembers playing for Zimbabwe in the 1985 East and Central Africa Challenge (Cecafa).
“It was a great honour being part of that cast that won the tournament. It is legacy setting that I treasure to have helped Zimbabwe win a major regional title when we beat Kenya 2-0 in the final,” said the former Arcadia, Wankie, Tornados and Zimbabwe Saints midfielder who is now director and coach of David Zulu Academy in Chitungwiza.
Moving from Hwange to Bulawayo and then Harare to different cultural settings did not affect him. He said his time with the Under-20 team had assisted him to appreciate other cultures and people.
His teammates at Arcadia were Nat Bismark, Joey Antipas, Reg Payne, Majid Dhana, Anthony Kambani, Givemore Nyahuma, Richard Manda, Mike Abrahams, Dorman Moodley, Charlie Jones, Max de Souza, Hedley Leyton, Maxwell Joseph and Danny Jambo.
Zulu retired in 1996 and has coached since then. He runs a small detergents company and lives with his family in Chitungwiza.
He holds several coaching certificates some from the early 1980s and a Caf C.
“My dream is to coach a big team some day. I have the experience.”