The Zimbabwe Lady Sables returned from their recent campaign —not to fanfare, not to honor, but to the cold silence of a nation that has let them down. Their campaign at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup qualifiers in Côte d’Ivoire ended with just one win from three games. But let’s be clear: the loss didn’t happen on the field. It happened long before they boarded that plane.
Here’s the ugly truth.
The Lady Sables were sent to war without a commander. Their head coach, Mr. Sibanda, didn’t travel with them—not because he didn’t want to, but because the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) couldn’t afford to send him. He was willing to juggle national duty with his job at Gateway High, but the Union failed to guarantee a return flight. Rather than risk his livelihood, Sibanda had to choose job security over country. That’s on ZRU.
Now brace yourself for this next part. Players were forced to buy their own national team blazers. Let that sink in. These women, representing their country, were told to dig into their own pockets for national regalia. Then, in a bizarre twist of irony, ZRU threw a “blazer handover and send-off ceremony.” That’s not leadership—that’s a clown show.
And the financial abuse doesn’t stop there.
According to multiple parents and sources close to the squad, ZRU paid the players only $150—after they boycotted training in protest. Some players, particularly those based in South Africa, never saw a cent. And yet, we have reports that ZRU Chairlady Regina Mwanandiwa received the full allowance funds meant for the team, but failed to hand them over. Where did the money go, Regina? This is not just incompetence—it’s theft.
When the players demanded what was rightfully theirs, they were told:
> “You are volunteering to play for your nation. No one forced you. If you expect an allowance, stay at home next time.”
This is how Zimbabwe treats its national athletes?
And it gets worse.
On returning, players were ordered to surrender their playing kits—the same jerseys they bled and sweat in. Refuse, and face arrest, they were told. This is beyond mismanagement. It is humiliation.
Then came the final blow: silence them. The players were warned not to speak to the media. Threatened with bans if they dare expose the rot. ZRU wants to muzzle the truth, to bury the scandal—but the silence ends here.
