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Tawanda Mangoma, Chiredzi
CHIREDZI FC chairman Charles Muchatukwa has pleaded with the Chiredzi community to help raise $300,000 for the PSL side.
He said the figure is enough to finance the club up to the end of the year.Addressing delegates at the team’s launch which was held in Chiredzi at the weekend, Muchatukwa said the team had started some small income generating projects as part of the resolve to stand the heat in the elite league.

Muchatukwa said his executive voluntarily defended the Hippo Valley franchise from being sold to business people from bigger cities after former sponsors Tongaat Hullet pulled out to support Triangle who had been promoted to the Premiership 12 months earlier.

Community representatives including Members of Parliament from Chiredzi District threw their weight behind the Muchatukwa led interim executive and gave them the mandate to continue with full responsibility of Chiredzi FC’s affairs as appreciation for steering the team’s affairs during trying times.

The executive was, however, tasked to come up with a team constitution and create structures taking a leaf from community teams such as Dynamos and Highlanders.

Retained in office are chairman Charles Muchatukwa, vice chairman Joel Sithole, secretary Reason Dube, treasurer Norman Sharara, committee member marketing Isaac Matsilele and committee member Energy Zava. The Chiredzi FC chairman said they decided to come forward and launch the team before its owners —the Chiredzi community.

“We teamed up in the name of football after realising that some business people from Bulawayo and Harare were interested in grabbing our local football club from Chiredzi. We said no to that by rising to the occasion to defend our franchise from leaving Chiredzi.

“We called everyone here because this is not my team but a Chiredzi FC for the community hence we must share ideas as to how can we save our team from its financial woes,” said Muchatukwa.

Muchatukwa, who is also the Chiredzi Town Council secretary, said Chiredzi FC needed about $300,000 in sponsorship while the balance would be financed by gate takings and other income generating projects.

“We owe players’ salaries since the beginning of the year and they are just committed to playing football despite the harsh environment they are operating in. We don’t need everything from the sponsor, we have some income generating projects which we are busy drafting.

Regalia sales will boost our pocket not singling out gate takings. We are appealing for $300,000 as sponsorship,” said Muchatukwa.
Guest speaker at the event was Chiredzi West Member of Parliament Kalisto Gwanetsa who said it was sad that Zimbabweans are good at admiring the English Premier League but are not committed to developing their own league.

“Chiredzi FC is marketing the brand of our town, the products which we produce and even creating employment for the technical team, players and even vendors. We cannot continue to admire the English Premier League instead of developing our own league,” said Gwanetsa.