A storm is brewing at the heart of Zimbabwean football, with the legendary Dynamos Football Club embroiled in a controversy that has shaken the club’s foundations and left fans questioning their beloved team’s direction. The club, renowned for its rich history and passionate support, finds itself at the centre of a scandal involving the alleged payment of a sangoma, a traditional healer, ahead of a crucial league match.
The controversy erupted following a report by H-Metro which claimed that Dynamos had paid US$1,000 to a sangoma before their match against Highlanders on July 14th. The club vehemently denied the allegations, issuing a statement that declared their unwavering faith in scientific methods and their commitment to “modern footballing practices.”
“We believe in the scientific approach to the game,” the statement read, “and investing in Iron Age practices would be detrimental to the growth and development of our club. We are a modern club with a modern vision, and we will not deviate from our principles.”
The statement further emphasised that engaging a sangoma would violate the diverse spiritual beliefs of the players and contravene the Zimbabwean constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and belief.
However, a source within the club, speaking to H-Metro on condition of anonymity, painted a starkly different picture, revealing that the club had been paying sangomas on a weekly basis for years. “The club has three sangomas, one in Mufakose, another in Bulawayo, and one in Chihota,” the source revealed, adding that the payments were disguised as “direct expenses.”
“It’s been part of the team’s DNA for a long time,” the source claimed, “but there has been a lot of friction over it, particularly last year when some members of the executive and the board chairman, Bernard Marriot, clashed over the practice.” This clash, the source revealed, led to a temporary freeze on the weekly payments.
The revelations have caught the Dynamos fanbase by surprise, with many expressing their disappointment and disillusionment. The club’s decision to allegedly pay a sangoma ahead of a crucial match has raised serious ethical and moral questions, especially given the club’s recent struggles with player unrest and unpaid dues.
“This is a betrayal of our trust,” lamented a long-time Dynamos supporter, who declined to be named. “We’ve been through tough times before, but this is a new low. We deserve better than this.”
The scandal has also sparked a broader debate about the role of traditional beliefs and practices in modern football. While some argue that such practices are harmless and can provide a psychological edge, others view them as superstitious and a distraction from the technical and scientific aspects of the game.
