Taking a bow to Malinda

Boy! I always cherish my childhood days as a kid growing up in the age of innocence, especially the fun I had during my countless adventures.

One of the fellas I grew up with in Kanjedza Township is the current Big Bullets chairperson Malinda Chinyama. I vividly remember that back then, we would spend time setting traps to catch birds and Malinda was an expert in that field. He would catch plenty of them, including the elusive pumbwa and asodo.

Malinda also used to play for my soccer team. Actually, I used to feature him because he would share with me part of his prey. Otherwise, as a player, he was hopeless. I also remember a chap called Limbani who found his way into my team’s starting line-up simply because he had a beautiful sister whom I adored.

I also remember that Malinda’s mum had a sugar cane field and there was a time I sneaked into it to get some. She caught me in the act and in the process, I sold her dummies and found my way out while laughing my lungs out —it used to be part of the fun! 

So, when I bump into Malinda, we always recall those good ‘ole days and the fun that we had as kids.

But that was over two decades ago and now my good friend Malinda is not only a chartered accountant, but also the big shot of the country’s football powerhouse—Bullets—but I doubt whether he finds it pleasant as was the case in our good ‘ole days.

To his credit, Malinda took over BB when they were on the verge of extinction three years ago. The only asset they could show was a broken cooler box and they could be taken to task for failing to settle bills for chiwaya which the players would have as a pre-match meal at Ginnery Corner.

Sadly, Bullets were battered, bruised and barely recognisable as the force that used to rule domestic football with a ruthless streak. But in just two years, Malinda, my good friend Higger Mkandawire and a few colleagues have turned it all around and BB, as we used to know it, is back—last season, they won the most lucrative cup on the land, the Presidential Cup, and that they failed to win league honours by a mere goal difference, speaks volumes of the revolution that has taken place at the club under his leadership. Hopefully, it can only get better! Glory be to God! Uloliwe..uloliwe wayidudula hi..nang’esiza! [the train is pushing!]