Break-in at DeMbare offices

DARING thieves broke into Dynamos offices at the National Sports Stadium last week and stole laptops and important documents, including some agreements between the Harare giants and their sponsors.

The matter was reported at Mabelreign Police Station on Wednesday and a docket (RRB 4289960) was subsequently opened.

Some of the stolen documents include agreements between the club and their principal sponsors, Gold Leaf Tobacco, on the commercialisation drive that has seen the club launch the sale of supporters’ shirts countrywide.

Gold Leaf Tobacco bankroll Dynamos through their Remington Gold brand.

Dynamos spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the break-in.

“We can confirm that there was a break-in at our offices housed in the National Sports Stadium. The club lost two laptops, some desktop computers and some very important documents on our commercialisation drive. We don’t know what the motive was and we have also reported the case at Mabelreign Police Station,” said Farawo.

National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi also confirmed the incident.

“We can confirm that there was a report made on June 3 concerning a break-in at the National Sports Stadium and some gadgets, including a Lenovo laptop, were stolen.

“We are conducting investigations and we urge companies to put security measures in place at their premises so that valuables are secured,” said Nyathi.

The mishap happened at a time Dynamos were upping the ante on their quest to fully commercialise their huge brand and widen their revenue streams beyond turnstile collections. Just like most of the local teams, DeMbare has had to endure months without any gate-takings as the 2020 Premier Soccer League was halted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has grounded sport across the globe.

However, Dynamos had already begun exploiting ways of enhancing their brand visibility through merchandise sales, particularly the club’s replica jerseys and branded shirts. The club and Remington Gold launched the four-year sales relationship agreement in February.

The deal is now fully functional and the club has already begun selling branded supporters’ shirts.

“The sale of our merchandise has kicked off,” said Farawo.

Dynamos and their sponsors agreed to distribute, through their supporters’ structures, the official club merchandise and Remington Gold products in Zimbabwe and beyond.

The move has been hailed by many who believe the club could finally cash in on its popularity across the country and beyond.