John Madzima – among the pioneering top Black football administrators during the Colonial era

John Madzima

JOHN Madzima, among the pioneering top Black football administrators during the Colonial era died in 1990 at the age of 68.

Despite being a colourful and respected personality in football and the advancement of a truly national sport, Madzima who had graced grand soccer events around Central and Southern Africa during the late 1950s and early 1960s to Zimbabwe’s Independence, at the time of his death the game had turned its back on him.

He was forgotten and thrown into the scrapheap that many of the country’s legends have been dumped at.

Madzima was elected chairman of the Salisbury African Football Association which represented the Natives in the capital and played against teams from other cities and mining towns. The biggest event on the calendar was the BAT Osborne Trophy which was played by amateur teams until the 1990s.

The crowning event for his league was always the Picks or Select teams where Harare was represented by Yellow Peril which most yesteryear greats like George Shaya played for, Red Army from Bulawayo and Green Bombers from Mutare, Wankie and Gwafa from Gweru being the most prominent.

Not much is known about him prior to taking up administration roles.

At one stage he was the chairman of the Mashonaland Provincial Association.

A good personality whose charisma cut across racial and tribal lines, Madzima found himself as vice chairman of the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation.

He was also involved with another body the Central and Southern African Football Federation. Among the directors he worked with during the Federation’s existence in the FA were Geoff Ellman-Brown and Charles Taber.

Back in the day there were two semi-professional clubs in the country Salisbury City and Salisbury United both of which disbanded in 1962 as multi-racial and professional football were born.

In 1963 the Rhodesia National Football League was formed with Dynamos a combination of Salisbury City and United players, Arcadia, Mashonaland United among the founding clubs with Madzima deputising Syd Matthews.

When Rhodesia got Fifa membership in 1965, Madzima was Number Two in Rhodesia football. A coup de tact saw him takeover as Chairman of the local football association.

Madzima would in 1973 lead in the formation of the national league won by Metal Box, a suspension in 1970 by Fifa, a year after Rhodesia came close to qualifying for the World Cup finals held in Brazil, the country entertained rebel groups from England like Lexington X1 and the South African national team.

He was also instrumental in allowing Germinston Callies, Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, a situation that allowed Rhodesia to get a measure of its own standards.

Several players Ebson Muguyo, Peter Nyama, Alex Masanjala, Aleck Mwanza, William Sibanda, Gibson Homela, Shadreck Ngwenya, Onias Musana, Douglas Maneto, Daniel Chikanda, Robert Godoka, George Shaya and Max Tshuma were able to break into leagues in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and the United Kingdom.

He was instrumental in the forming and registration of Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) with Fifa in 1980.

Madzima was the first FA President in independent Zimbabwe and lasted a few months before the new Black Government came in with a board that had Moron Mushambadope as President and Ndumiso Gumede and Frank Valdermaca as committee.

After his retirement Madzima led a quiet life and passed on in 1990 at the age of 68 leaving behind 11 children from his three marriages.