TAFIC secures clubhouse

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Friday November 12, 2010 00:00

 

Tati African Federation Independent Club (TAFIC) formed around 1961 as a break away from the then popular TAFA football club, has found an administrative home in Kgaphamadi where it was founded about five decades ago.

Information has it that the founders of TAFIC, which was initially known as Sharp Shooters in its formative years, were based at Kgaphamadi where the club has now secured a home which will hopefully transform the financially struggling club into a force to reckon with.  TAFIC, popularly known as Matjimenyenga to hordes of its supporters, is nicknamed after a stream, which runs behind the low-income locations of Maipaafela and Kgaphamadi. Matjimenyenga is a tributary of the Tati River.

Matjimeyenga has become a likeable sobriquet for TAFIC which has since adopted a motto: 'Undipe ndi kupe' which suggests a symbiotic relationship. The clubhouse brings to an end the running of the club's affairs from briefcases, which has made it difficult over the years to effectively, amongst others, capture the history of the be MOBILE Premier League outfit. It will also strengthen the club's support base and generally the capturing of important data. TAFIC was recently registered as a private company called Tafic Holdings (Pty) Ltd. It has struggled in the be MOBILE Premier League as out of 11 outings, it stands at position nine with only 14 points.

TAFIC chairman Humphrey Nawa, an architect by profession, who hails from the neighbouring Matsiloje, was this week elated that by securing the clubhouse the team was nearer to attaining their dream. He envisages the new development changing the fortunes of the cash-strapped club.

'Our supporters are going to get all the information about their club,' he said adding that it will be easier for them to embark on money-generating projects. 

The clubhouse will be the place from which to sell the club regalia, where fund-raising will be effectively coordinated and just a place of pleasure where supporters can spend quality time together. It's a requirement of the Premier League Committee for local clubs to have offices.

'We view the clubhouse, which is a first for our team, as a place where the TAFIC's history will be preserved and accessed.' Nawa stressed that the Mathumo family, one of the die-hards of the club, offered the rented office at reasonable rentals. The clubhouse is considered a very important aspect of TAFIC's growth.

'It's going to afford us an opportunity to shift from the briefcase management of the club to a situation where we have everything in place.  'Information of the club has been in the offices of individuals and some of it has been lost,' Nawa pointed out.He regards football as a 'poverty sport' especially in Africa where funding of sports is inelastic. He is hoping to see the club's die-hards following their team in large numbers whenever it is playing.

One way of raising funds will be to have a regular sports bar and Nawa is optimistic that this will bring the club supporters together. 'We have always wanted the team to return to where it was formed as this is where it has popular support.' Nawa pleaded with TAFIC fans to access the clubhouse, which will be officially opened soon.