The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
SOME call her Mbuya Diamond.
Others call her Mbuya Gusha, while some call her Mbuya Nhema.
Better still, others call her Mbuya Badza.
Her real name is Hellen Gurure and football is her passion.
63-year-old Mbuya Gurure is a permanent feature at Manicaland’s ceremonial home of football – Sakubva Stadium – every weekend whenever there is a soccer match.
For some reason, she is one person who needs no introduction to all stakeholders of the game of football as she never misses a match and more importantly she has always rallied behind every home team since the days of Manicaland’s most successful football institution, Tanganda FC.
Basically, for Mbuya Gurure, it is not only about the cups of groundnuts and popcorn that she sells during football matches, but also the unparalleled levels of concentration that she gives to action on the field of play.
When Post Sport pinned her down for an interview on Sunday during the Castle Lager Premiership match pitting Manica Diamonds and Black Rhinos, her answers would come in bits and pieces as she visibly struggled to concentrate on the action on the field of play as well as respond to posed questions.
“Sorry my son, come again. I get so enmeshed with football action that it becomes difficult to hear what those around me will be talking about,” she would intermittently make an apology for missing some of the questions posed as the match progressed.
Born in Honde Valley and moved to Mutare at the age of 14, Mbuya Gurure earned most of her nicknames all because of her strong attachment to the game of football.
“I was born in Honde Valley and moved to Mutare when I was around 14 years of age. People call me Mbuya Diamond because of the way I support Manica Diamonds.
“Others prefer to call me Mbuya Gusha because I also support Mutare City Rovers with a passion. There are some people who call me Mbuya Nhema because of my complexion, but others call me Mbuya Badza after my boyfriend who used to play for a Railways team here in Mutare.
“Ideally, I am one person who loves the game of football with a passion. No doubt about that. I have made it a point that I support every Mutare-based teams whether it is coming from the police, prisons, army, council or private companies. As long as the team is based here I will support it with all my heart,” she said.
She gave a brief history of her life as a fan of the game of football in Mutare.
“I started falling in love with the game of football way back when we used to support Tanganda FC. I supported many local teams that include Zupco Mutare, Mutare United, Highway FC, Buffaloes, Tenax C.S FC and Manica Diamonds FC,” she said.
For Mbuya Gurure, the player she remembers and admired the most was the late Blessing ‘Yogo-Yogo’ Makunike.
“No doubt about that! The player I loved and remember the most is Blessing Makunike. He was a very talented player. The way he passed the ball, looked behind the shoulders when receiving ball and the ball control itself was just outstanding,” she said.
Even though she was denied basic education because of a cruel patriarchal system that saw no value in educating a girl child, without mincing her words, Mbuya Gurure had a few professional words of advice for those running the game of football, both in Mutare in particular and the country in general.
“I never went to school because my parents only sent boys to school, but I am the only surviving member of my family now. Over the years I have gained knowledge of how these football teams are being run, from a supporter point of view.
“I think it is only fair to let league administrators know that the US$3 being charge as entry fee for league matches is too much. I am not sure if they are aware that US$1 can buy 15 mackerel fish in Sakubva, relish for two days. Therefore, for one person to part ways with US$3 to watch football is just too much.
“If they reduce it to US$1, I am sure many fans will attend these matches and create a carnival atmosphere during league matches like what used to happen in the past. I also want to urge administrators to understand that players have bellies and families, please reward them handsomely and in time,” she said.
She urged local teams to honour and respect their local die-hard fans.
“I wish clubs like Tenax C.S FC know their local die-hard fans. In fact, to be precise, ngavazivewo mambuya awo! (They should know the old ladies that support them),” she noted.
“To Manica Dimaonds, my advice is that US$30 for the replica jersey might make business sense but it is an insult to fans that are strugling to get US$3 to watch a league match,” she added.
Mbuya Gurure did not forget about the need to refurbish some of the old football facilities in Mutare.
“The other thing is on facilities. Chisamba Ground as well as Sports Oval should be refurbished. They used to act as talent nurseries. People should not wonder why talented players are now scarce. Where do they hone their skills? We used to have very good turf at Sports Ovalm but everything has been neglected,” she said.
For some reason, keeping Mbuya Gurure for a very long time was a bit unfair, given that she has a child who finished Form Four and still to collect his results because she still owes the school.
Hence this reporter could not help, but cut short the eye-opening and exciting interview and wave goodbye to this true friend of the game of football!
