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Marvelous Nakamba is changing lives in Zimbabwe

Published

3 years ago

June 19, 2022

BIRMINGHAM – Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba continues to give back to the communities in Zimbabwe that shaped him as a boy with a dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Nakamba grew up in Bulawayo and played for Zimbabwean clubs Highlanders and Bantu Rovers before his eventual move to France to join Nancy in 2012.

Five years and seven Champions League appearances later, Nakamba joined Premier League club Villa from Club Brugge for £11million and has used his platform as one of Zimbabwe’s most successful footballers to launch a charitable foundation that helps people back in his homeland.

The Marvelous Nakamba Foundation (MNF) was formed in 2019 and aims to use the power of sport and education to give back to communities in Zimbabwe.

In April of last year, The MNF announced that they had managed to pay for 1,000 school fees as parents had been struggling to cover those costs.

The students were selected through recommendations by school staff, with a focus on the underprivileged.

It followed on from MNF’s announcement that the charity had paid school fees for 1,500 children in 21 schools from five provinces through its education assistance programme (EAP), in February 2020.

“Marvelous grew up as a boy who loved football and as his family, we nurtured his talent and made sure he got all the support to attain his dream,” said MNF chairman Anthony Nakamba.

As a family and the Marvelous Nakamba Foundation we are proud of you. Continue to make a difference.”

The youth tournament be staged at White City Stadium on June 25 and 26 and

Nakamba added: “Grassroots football is very important for the survival of the game.

“We all came through the system and we benefited because we were afforded the chance at an early stage.

“Henceforth, it is befitting that we continue with the tradition of supporting grassroots sport,” said Nakamba, who was groomed at the famed Bantu Rovers Academy in Bulawayo.”

Nakamba’s charitable foundation has also taken the latest steps in a major project that will help shape the futures of many disadvantaged children in his home town Bulawayo

Nakamba has also pledged to fight against child marriages in his country, too.

Earlier this week, Nakamba was present as Unicef Zimbabwe held a press event ahead of the Day of the African Child, which lands on June 16, in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, statistics show that one in every three women aged between 20-49 years are married before the age of 18, and Nakamba is committed to fight for change.

He said at the event: “I thrive to stand for what is right in society. I come from a disadvantaged background in Dinde, Hwange, down there.

“I have lived in a ghetto and you know growing up, you see a lot of abnormalities going on.

“I stand for what is right and I am going to use my brand to try and help in the best way possible.

“Girls have been disadvantaged in society since years back and we have to fight to end that.” – BirminghamLive

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The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA

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According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

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Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.