Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FINALlY, the prophet has been accepted in his homeland and he is now back right in the vicinity of an area where he started to learn how to write his name!
Rodwell Dhlakama, the eloquent football gaffer who traces part of his eventful past to the remote Chikore community in Chipinge district where he learnt at Rebai Primary School, a few kilometres from Chisumbanje, has now settled at GreenFuel.
Dhlakama is no stranger, visitor nor passerby to the province of Manicaland.
He belongs here!
Dhlakama assumed duty at GreenFuel early this week after the technical duo of Lloyd Mutasa and Bekithemba Ndlovu was shown the exit.
GreenFuel boss, Fredson Moyo, said: “We are already experiencing positive vibes from the team and executive members following the incoming of the new technical set up.
Rodwell Dhlakama is in and the good thing is that he has worked with a good number of players that we already have, hence gelling cannot be much of a challenge.
“I attended one of the team’s training sessions and I was impressed. I witnessed a completely new team, which displayed a winning mentality, something that was lacking in the past. This is positive and it is good for everyone involved in the club,” said Moyo.
The Chisumbanje outfit, which remains rooted at the basement of the 18-team Castle Lager Premiership table, started life under Dhlakama with a date against fellow debutants Simba Bhora, away at the National Sports Stadium in the capital yesterday (Thursday).
Dhlakama was born at the Mhondoro-Ngezi rural hospital.
He was left in the custody of his maternal grandparents while his parents relocated to their original roots in Chipinge.
His grandmother, Regina Tshakalisa Mutizira, passed on while Dhlakama was in Form Three at Ngezi High School.
At the tender age of 16, he was sent away from Ngezi High School for failing to pay fees and he immediately thought of returning to Manicaland.
Dehumanizing circumstances that include spending days staying at a nearby disused shop after being booted out of the school’s boarding facilities left the boy with no choice but to do what he had to do to get to his home province of Manicaland.
In his grueling trip back to Manicaland more than 30 years ago, young Rodwell traversed 70km on foot along the meandering tarmac from Nyazura to Mutare to complete his arduous journey from Mhondoro-Ngezi.
Rodwell just had to leave Mhondoro-Ngezi and go all out in search of not only the much needed comforts of teenage-hood, but basics such as an education and a roof over his head.
Somehow, history has a way of repeating itself.
Dhlakama finds himself coming back to Manicaland again after an acrimonious end to his stay at Ngezi Platinum Stars — reminiscent of the same events in high school more than 30 year ago.
Back then, young Rodwell was lucky to have a sister and a brother-in-law in Mutare.
They took him in and got the talented budding footballer enrolled for his secondary studies at Dangamvura High.
In an interview with Post Sport years back, Dhlakama said: “It was not an easy journey at all. I stayed in Mhondoro with my grandmother but after her death, even though I had some of my mother’s relatives around that area, there was no one else I could stay with.
“When I came back to Mutare after going through those excruciating experiences that include living in a disused shop and completing my journey back to Mutare on foot, my sister and her husband took me in and got me enrolled at Dangamvura High for my Former Three and Four studies.
“Luckily, I managed to use my football talent and got a scholarship from CPMZ Feruka that took me through to Form Four” narrated Dhlakama.
Later, he went back to Mhondoro but it was not long before he returned to Manicaland.
Upon his return, Dhlakama got the ‘O’ Level studies scholarship, together with the late footie stars Blessing ‘Yogo Yogo’ Makunike and Alexander Chadzeka.
Football seemed to have a way of unveiling opportunities for him as he soon got another scholarship to compete his ‘A’ Level studies at Chikore Mission in Chipinge.
However, a hearty football coaching Manicaland story had been elusive for Dhlakama.
With more than 25 years of experience and notable achievements, a coaching job had never presented itself to Dhlakama in the province.
That was until Green Fuel FC came knocking on his door.
In a lengthy coaching career that is decorated with cup and league championships, Dhlakama has coached Zimasco FC Shurugwi in Division One, domestic Premiership trio of Monomotapa FC, Caps United, Kiglon Bird, Ngezi Platinum, as well as Manzini Sundowns of Swaziland.
For now, it now remains to be seen whether the prophet will deliver after the acceptance in his homeland.
Yesterday, Dhlakama led GreenFuel to their first victory in the top flight league barely a week after taking over as head coach.
Washington Mapuya’s first half strike is all that Dhlakama’s club needed to outsmart fellow new boys Simba Bhora in a match played at the National Sports Stadium on Thursday (yesterday).