Zambian goalie a fraudster: Gumede

By Ricky Zililo

BULAWAYO – Highlanders chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede has alleged that Zambian goalkeeper Sitali Nyambwe is a “tsotsi” after he levelled ill-treatment allegations on the Bulawayo giants.

Nyambwe has been training with the club for a month after impressing during the Bulawayo Football Festival in February. Gumede claimed that the goalie, who had made the grade at the Bulawayo giants, was a fraudster.

Nyambwe claimed Highlanders brought him from Zambia to Bulawayo and then abandoned him. “I want everyone to know that Highlanders mistreated me. They never provided food or accommodation for me during trials. I was ready to sweat blood and play for Highlanders, but I don’t see myself ever playing for them,” said Nyambwe.

The goalkeeper said he has been staying in Richmond and Highlanders refused to give him transport fare to attend training sessions.

However, Gumede dismissed Nyambwe’s allegations.

“That boy came on his own, watshaya umazivelela. He told us he was staying with a friend in Richmond. We notified him about our situation that all our players attending trials stay at our Hotel California house in Luveve and he declined to move there, which made things difficult.

“However, he came to us and said he needs $15 a week which the club provided, but not only that, we discovered that he’s a tsotsi because after providing him with $15, he went on to ask for money from the vice-chairman (Modern Ngwenya), the welfare manager Vezigama Dlodlo and myself. He’s not an honest person,” Gumede said.

Efforts by Chronicle Sport to secure a comment from Nyambwe yesterday on Gumede’s specific attacks on him failed.

On Nyambwe’s claims that Bosso failed to organise him a permit, Gumede said:

“We told him that we were interested in him and even gave him $70 to travel to Zambia so that he brings a police clearance and other documents to facilitate an application for a permit.

“On his return, he told our members in Victoria Falls that he’s stranded and those guys paid his transport fare to Bulawayo. Only last week, he came to the office and said he wants to terminate his contract with us.”

Nyambwe now claims to have found a new home at one of the Bulawayo-based Premier Soccer League clubs.

His goalkeeping antics had endeared him to die hard Bosso fans, with many saying he reminded them of their eccentric former goalminders Tapuwa Kapini and Edmore Sibanda. The Chronicle