ZAKHELE XABA
OWAYENGUMGADLI weMoroka Swallows, uSisa Nombe, usephumele obala ngesifiso sokubuyela kuleli qembu ayofaka isandla ekubuyiseni isithunzi seqembu abalisebenzele kanzima eminyakeni edlule.
UNombe, owayeqhulula amagoli kuSwallows ngeminyaka yabo-1990, uzwakalise ubuhlungu benhliziyo ngesimo leli qembu elikuso kuNational First Division (NFD). Ngasekupheleni konyaka odlule kuvele izindaba zokuthi abadlali beZinyoni sekuphele izinyanga ezintathu bengaholi ngaphansi kobuholi bukaLeon Prins obephethe leli qembu iminyaka engu-15. NgoNovemba uPrins ulilaxazile iqembu namanye amalungu, uZackon Selwyn noHilton Davidson. Izintambo zithathwe nguCharles Makhubo ongusihlalo weqeqebana elinamasheya amancane kuSwallows.
Emuva kwemidlalo engu-14 kuNFD, iSwallows inamaphuzu angu-11. Isendaweni ka-14. Yikhona lokhu okudala ukukhathazeka kubalandeli beSwallows kwazise abukeka emancane amathuba okuthi ibuyele kuPremiership ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2015/2016.
UNombe uthe kunzima ukubona iqembu abalisebenzela ngothando, behola amakinati, lishona phansi ngenxa yokuhluleka kwabaphathi.
“Kubuhlungu ukubona iqembu likulesi simo. Ngizwela kakhulu abadlali ngoba banemindeni okufanele bayondle kodwa bazithola benezinkinga ngenxa yepolitiki ekuphathweni kweqembu. Isimo abakuso sinzima. Thina sayidlalela iSwallows ngoba sasiyithanda, sihola imali encane kodwa sibekezela ngoba siqhuba phambili uthando lweqembu,” kusho uNombe.
“Okufanele bakwenze abadlali wukweseka abaphathi abasha ukuze iqembu lizobuyela endaweni yalo. Kubuhlungu ukuthi nakuNFD lisezansi nokukhomba ukuthi kungenzeka lingabuyeli ku-Absa Premiership ekupheleni kwesizini.”
Ekupheleni kwesizini edlule, ngesikhathi iSwallows igawulwa yizembe, kwaba nesililo esikhulu kubalandeli bebhola eNingizimu Afrika yonke ngenxa yomlando omuhle enawo ebholeni.
Ngo-2004 iSwallows yawina i-Absa Cup, ngo-2009 yahlabana ngeNedbank Cup. Igcine ukuqukula indebe nge-MTN8 ngo-2012. UNombe, owayeyibamba kuSwallows nabadlali abafana noPatrick “General” Ningiza, Peter Peterson, Gary McNab, Peter Matsitshe nabanye, ugxeke abaphathi ngokubashaya indiva abadlali bakudala baleli qembu. Izinkunzi ebholeni lakuleli iKaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates neMamelodi Sundowns, ziyaziwa ngokunikeza izihlabani zazo imisebenzi uma seziphanyeke amakhokho emgibeni. Kwaba nenhlokomo ezinkakheni zeSwallows ngesikhathi iqasha uDennis “Chesa Mpama” Lota, wodumo ku-Orlando Pirates, ukuthi abe yiphini lomqeqeshi. Kwenzeka okufanayo ngesikhathi uPatrick Mabedi, owayengukaputeni weChiefs, enikwa umsebenzi ezinhlakeni zeZinyoni.
“Ngiyafisa ukubuyela kuSwallows ngiyosebenzela ukuthi ibuyele ezingeni layo. Angikhethile lapho ngingabamba khona. Kubuhlungu ukuthi izinkakha zeSwallows azinikwa imisebenzi eqenjini,” kusho uNombe.
“KuSwallows kuqashwa abantu abangazange bayidlalele nokushiya imibuzo ngokuzinikela kwabo. Isikhathi esiningi abantu abanjalo abanandaba neqembu kodwa basebenzela ukuhola ekupheleni kwenyanga.”