Ronald 'Gidiza' Sibanda goes missing

LEGENDARY former Zimbabwe Saints, Dynamos and Warriors' star midfielder Ronald "Gidiza" Sibanda has gone missing.

He has not been seen since Sunday when he left his family home in New Lobengula for Barbourfields Stadium for the Highlanders and How Mine encounter. Sibanda was not at Barbourfields Stadium for the match.

His friend Mphathisi Ndlovu, whom he was with, has also not been seen since Sunday.

Gidiza's mother Sithokozile Sibanda said the lanky former midfielder and Ndlovu's mobile phones have been off since Tuesday evening. The friend, who was driving a company car and works in Harare, has also not reported for work this week. A missing persons' report has been made with the police.

The family said they have checked all hospitals in Bulawayo as well as mortuaries to no avail.

"Gidiza left on Sunday saying he was going to Barbourfields Stadium. These days he had been staying at his house in Nketa because his wife, who works in South Africa, was around so when he did not pass by later after the match we were not worried much because we thought he was in Nketa," said his visibly distraught mother.

She said little did they know that Ronald was not at his house, as his wife went to New Lobengula looking for him since she was supposed to return to South Africa.

"We told her that we also thought she was with him. As a grown up person, I inwardly told myself that perhaps he was somewhere with a girlfriend, but when the whole day passed, I began to worry a bit. I phoned him at around 7PM, but his phone was answered by someone who said my son was already asleep," she said.

She said moments later she called again because she did not believe that Gidiza could be asleep that early.

"The person suddenly changed and said Ronald was driving and therefore could not talk on the phone, which was rare for him to do that, especially knowing that it was his mother. There was some noise in the background, which was not that of a radio. While I was still talking, the person switched off the phone and it has not been on since then," she said.

She said they heard on Tuesday that Ronald had been seen in the company of Mphathisi, who is known to the family, and they immediately went to enquire from Mphathisi's father, who also told them that his son had not been home.

"On Wednesday, Mphathisi's father came to my house and said his son came home on Tuesday night and knocked at the door, but asked him not to open the door. He told him that he was with friends and they would come back later," she said.

It was the last time Mphathisi spoke to his father, as his phone has not been reachable since.

"I am really worried and I am even failing to eat," said Sibanda.

Ronald's brother, former Highlanders coach Bongani Mafu, who is now coaching Botswana's Mochudi Centre Chiefs coach, changed his WhatsApp profile picture and put various pictures of Ronald, while his status is written in French "La vie put etre belle" (life could be beautiful.