Ruzive’s journey to rebuilding Quelaton Tawanda Ruzive-Cattle

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE dust rises on a forgotten stadium as Tawanda Ruzive steps onto the field. Memories flood back, both good and bad, as he surveys the empty stands that once held the raucous cheers of fans. It’s been a decade since his Quelaton Football Club was relegated from the Premiership, and Ruzive thought he had left football behind for good. But the passion still burns within him, and he knows he must try again.

With a vision in mind, Ruzive has spent years rebuilding his businesses and exploring new ventures, but his heart still belongs to football. He’s learned his lesson from the past, and he knows that the key to success this time around is through youth development. As he steps onto the field, he can’t help but feel a sense of excitement for what’s to come.

Tawanda Ruzive-Chickens.

The path ahead won’t be easy, but Ruzive is determined to make it work. He’s already begun to harness funds for the club, and he’s found a new passion in farming that he hopes will help support his vision. With his head of cattle and chicken layers producing eggs, Ruzive has been experimenting with different crops and livestock to find the best way to utilise his land.

He envisions a future where Quelaton FC is once again a force to be reckoned with, where young players are given the opportunity to grow and shine. He knows that it won’t happen overnight, but he’s ready for the challenge.

As he takes a deep breath and walks off the field, Ruzive knows that he’s taking a risk. But he also knows that there’s nothing more rewarding than chasing your dreams and doing what you love. And with Quelaton FC back in action, he knows that anything is possible.

In 2012, Ruzive thought that he had struck gold when his now defunct Quelaton Football Club made its maiden Premiership season having won the 2011 Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League title.

Quelaton found the topflight tough, lasting just a year as they managed three wins in 30 games. The club faced financial challenges, as Ruzive single -handedly bankrolled the club that was formed in 2006.

Ruzive, who served as the board member finance in the Zifa Southern Region between 2010 and 2014 and is now a councillor for Ward 6 in Bulawayo, admitted that life in the Premiership was not rosy and wanted to sell his club before it collapsed.

A decade later, Ruzive, named among business heroes with football passion and a vision by legend Zenzo Moyo in his weekly Sunday News column, wants to resuscitate Quelaton FC. Moyo named Ruzive alongside Delma Lupepe (Amazulu), Gift Banda and Isaiah Shoniwa (Njube Sundowns), Omega Sibanda (FC Windermere), the late Eric Rosen (Motor Action) and Methembe Ndlovu (Bantu Rovers) as some of the people who cannot be ignored for using “their money” to develop the game.

“Quelaton Football Club is coming back. I learnt my lesson the last time and I’ve done research that what I need to do for Quelaton FC to survive is to concentrate on junior development, identify and develop talent at a tender age. Back then, we went for experience, with a couple of players who are still active and I take pride that some of the boys had their Premiership debuts at Quelaton and they went on to illuminate local scene.

“I can’t be divorced from football, I love football and in believe I can still play a positive role in developing talent within Bulawayo,” said Ruzive.

Some of the footballers who turned out for Quelaton when they were in first division and the Premiership include striker Francesco Zekumbawire who went on to play for Hwange, Dynamos and Harare City, Timothy January, Eddie Nkulungo, Innocent Kutsanzira, Gracious Mleya and Marshal Machazane.

Having lost a significant amount to football, Ruzive has spent the last decade reviving his businesses.

He has also found passion in farming.

“I’m into mining and still doing fuel. To be honest, if you don’t have corporate partners, it’s difficult to run a football club alone.

Tawanda Ruzive-farmer

I’m don’t regret spending money in football in the past and right now I’ve been harnessing funds so that I start the developmental project. If properly run, the development side can fund itself as the vision is to produce players who we will move to bigger teams locally and outside the border.

“I’ve been harnessing funds to revive Quelaton FC and I’m ready. I’ve also been doing farming at Upper Nondwane in Umguza District. I got the farm last year and presently, I’ve got chicken layers doing about 60 trays of eggs a day,” Ruzive said.

Tawanda Ruzive-Maize

For a new farmer, Ruzive is doing moderately well at the farm, with a head of 35 cattle that he is growing. He has also drilled two boreholes with the intention of setting up greenhouses to produce vegetables throughout the year.

“My farm predecessor used to do potatoes and because the land is big, I’ll try them soon. I did experiments with maize and sunflower with the former not doing well. The sunflower is for feeding chickens.

“We will grind the maize stems and the cobs that didn’t do well and preserve it for cattle feed. I also do inkukhu makhaya which will be fed by the stuff we grow,” said Ruzive. — @ZililoR

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