Ndumiso Gumede

Personal Life

His first marriage was from 1973 to 1987. He married his second wife Virginia Ntuli in 1992 and they went separate ways in 1994. He described his first wife, Muriel Hlazo, who actually has a twin sister as the love of his love. Ndumiso Gumede said his second wife left him for a younger man when ^[1]

Children

He had twin boys with his first wife, one son from his second marriage and another daughter with a Bulawayo woman he had a relationship with in between his two marriages.

Education

Gumede did some primary education in Bulawayo, he learnt at Matshetshe, he also did his primary school education in Gwayi and completed his primary school education at Inyathi where he also did part of his secondary education, Form One and Form Two. For Form Three and Four Ndumiso Gumede was at Bulawayo African Secondary School, now Mpopoma High School. He trained as a school teacher at Gweru Teachers College, now Midlands State University. While he was training as a teacher he also enrolled to learn to referee.^[1]

Career

Teaching

His first deployment took him to Harare where he taught at Highfields Secondary School. He was a teacher of science subjects. While at Highfields Gumede was also a sports master. He was at Highfields from 1969 until 1975 when he moved to Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo. At Highfields Secondary School he taught Oliver Kateya and Shackman Tauro.

Gumede left teaching in 1986 when he lost out on an opportunity to become deputy headmaster at Ihlathi High School.

Ndumiso Gumede wrote his letter of resignation and later joined Old Mutual. Gumede worked for Old Mutual in Bulawayo before he was moved to Harare where he played a mentorship role.^[1]

Football Administration

Gumede got involved in the Highlanders structures in the early 1970s as the club's representative in Harare, served as the club’s chairman and also as secretary- general and vice-president of ZIFA. He recalled his journey with Highlanders, describing 1986 as his most illustrious year when the club bagged all trophies except the league title. It was also the year when Bosso bought it’s Robert Mugabe Way offices, camping house in Luveve known as “Hotel California” and the club also managed to take over Queens Bowling Club, which is now the Highlanders clubhouse.^[2]

Gumede is a former Zifa vice-president and he served the local football mother body in different capacities since being invited as a committee member by then Youth, Sport and Recreation Minister Joice Mujuru in 1980. He is also an ex-Zifa secretary general, Zifa vice-chairman, Zifa committee member, Zifa CEO, a member of the CAF Appeals Committee, Highlanders chairman, ex-ZBC continuity announcer and actor.

He was Sports Master while teaching at Highfield Secondary School in 1969 before he became a Highlanders executive's representative in Harare in 1974. He started teaching at Mzilikazi High School in 1975. In the same year he joined the Highlanders Fundraising Committee. He became Bosso's executive chairman in 1978. In 1979 he reportedly played a big role in making sure that the club returned to the Super League following their breakaway in 1975 to form the South Zone. He waved goodbye to local football at a time he was a member of the FIFA Interpol Match Fixing Prevention Programme.^[3]

Acting

He acted in several plays in Zimbabwe and he also starred in a film called More Time (film) which was mainly concerned with the fate of hormonal female teenagers, seeks to educate teenagers like Thandiwe (Prudence Katomeni) about the lesson that, with HIV/AIDS destroying so many youthful lives, ‘playing with love’ may also mean playing with life itself. He played the role of Baba Ncube.

While in Harare he got involved in radio dramas written by Harry Nleya and Amon Nyamambi. Gumede's first big film was Xola written by Busi Dlodlo and filmed in Harare. Ndumiso Gumede was a priest and his role was to counsel a new couple on how to avoid catching the HIV virus.

He also acted in Yellow Card starring Leroy Gopal and Gringo.

Gumede also played a part in the 1987 epic drama film, Cry Freedom, directed and produced by Richard Attenborough.^[1]

Death

Ndumiso Gumede died at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Wednesday 29 December 2021 hours after being admitted with a kidney ailment. According to a family friend who spoke to an online publication, Gumede was rushed to hospital on Tuesday with a suspected kidney infection but he did not agree with the medical staff that it was serious enough to be admitted. His condition got worse overnight and he was rushed back on Wednesday morning but unfortunately he could not make it.^[4]

Trivia

Ndumiso Gumede was involved in an embarrassing altercation with the then 23-year-old Bulawayo woman in 2015 who claimed that the veteran football administrator was failing to take care of a four-month-old child he allegedly sired with her.

At some point in time in 2017 he had to clear the air on rumours which circulated in Bulawayo that he was a resident of an Old People's Home. "It's not like I'm staying at an old people's home. I actually have a room at a place where senior citizens stay. The place is called Coronation Cottages and it is just near the Highlanders Clubhouse," said the outspoken former Bosso chief executive officer.

"I stay at my rural home in Inyathi and I use the room at the Coronation Cottages when I come to town (Bulawayo)," he added.

In 2017 again he had to dismiss allegations that he was a traditional healer or had simply gone nuts.

References