FORMER Warriors defender Thomas “Rambo” Sweswe is a man famed for his legs of steel.
HENRY MHARA
Travelling on a football journey that has taken him from Mbare, Harare, to the mining town of Bindura, Highlanders and Dynamos and to the leafy life of Naturena, he has been known for his meanness at the heart of defence.
But, for all his seemingly toughness on the pitch, Sweswe is a human being after all.
His softer side was laid bare when he met with his former primary school soccer coach Gilbert Mushonga at Mbare’s Chirodzo Primary School on Wednesday, where he was donating soccer and netball uniforms.
The gift, worth over $2 000, included two full sets of complete soccer and netball uniforms as well as soccer balls.
After 19 years of separation when Sweswe left the school to pursue the journey that has given him fame and riches, the reunion was as emotional as it could be.
Sweswe was accompanied at the ceremony by his friends, former Warriors captain Tapuwa Kapini and Desmond Maringwa.
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“This is the man who started it all. This is the man who made me what I’m today. Don’t worry about my tears, they are tears of joy,” said Sweswe as he went down memory lane.
“I started playing soccer here at Chirodzo when I was in Grade 5. I was playing as a left link and I won the Player of the Year award when I was in Grade 6,” he recalled.
“In Grade 7, I played as a defender, but I was the top goal-scorer during that year,” he said igniting a big laugh from the audience. He explained: “I would normally score from free-kicks and that is when I got the nickname Rambo.
“We would dominate several schools around here like St Peter’s, Nharira and Shingirirai, which had good players like Edward Sadomba and Leonard Tsipa.”
Giving back to Chirodzo was something that Sweswe had wanted to do for some time.
“This has been in my mind for a long time now. This school gave me so much and I have donated this to show my gratitude. My advice to the kids that want to pursue soccer as a career is that they should also take school seriously because ours is a short career.”
Mushonga, who has nurtured other talents such as former Motor Action and Dynamos hitman Edmore Mufema, made a shocking revelation.
“Sweswe was not even one of the best players at this school during his time. Some very special talents have passed through this school and it’s sad that they didn’t develop further. Many have wasted themselves doing drugs. What I remember about Sweswe is he was a disciplined player and was committed.
“He had so much passion for the game that he would cry everytime we lost a match. I knew he would make it, but I didn’t think he would be as big as he is now. I am really happy for him and his success is a lesson not only to our pupils here, but to all the children in Zimbabwe,” Mushonga said.
