Monday 9 November 2020

BOSSO EXECUTIVES DEMAND US$1 000 EACH SITTING ALLOWANCES

HIGHLANDERS chairman Kenneth Mhlophe and club treasurer Donald Ndebele have allegedly set themselves at loggerheads with other members of the club executive for “refusing” to greenlight payment of US$1 000 sitting allowance per individual.

Other members of the Highlanders executive are vice-chairman Modern Ngwenya, secretary-general Israel Moyo and committee member Wisdom Mabhena.

According to impeccable sources, during one of the executive’s routine meetings the trio of Ngwenya, Moyo and Mabhena moved a motion to have each member of the executive getting paid sitting allowances of US$1 000 after the club got about US$50 000 from the sale of Prince Dube to Tanzania’s Azam.

Also privy to information that the club had received some solidarity payment from Aston Villa for Marvelous Nakamba and Turkish side Yeni Malatyspor for Teenage Hadebe, the executive members felt the push for “handsome payouts” were justified as they had served the club for a while without getting anything.

“There seems to be some strains within the Highlanders executive and they seem to have escalated after the club got paid transfer fees for Prince Dube as well as solidarity funds from Aston Villa and Yeni Malatyspor. Some executive members pushed that since the club is liquid, why don’t they get US$1 000 each in sitting allowances because they’ve been attending to meetings without being paid.

“What boggles the mind is that when these people offer to serve Highlanders they say they are doing so selflessly and to agree to take US$1 000 each what does that say about the leadership?” said a source.

The demand for the US$1 000 comes at a time when Highlanders is engaging players over contract extensions.

Bosso has been negotiating with some of the senior players who include goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, defender Peter Muduhwa and midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku to extend their stay at the club as their contracts expire at the end of the year.

Highlanders has also started talking to midfielder Adrian Silla whose deal with the club expires at the end of June 2021.

Already, the Bulawayo soccer giants lost midfielder Brian Banda to FC Platinum and striker Tinashe Makanda who has agreed to cross the great divide by joining Highlanders’ fierce rivals Dynamos.

A club official said it was agreed that part of the transfer fees for Dube and the solidarity funds will be used to sign players, embark on legacy projects that will help Highlanders generate revenue.

Besides demanding the US1 000 allowances at a time when the players received US$100 Covid-19 relief funds, this publication has it on good authority that the executive members have demanded a written assurance from the board that it will not interfere with their decision on chief executive Nhlanhla Dube’s contract.

The executive members say they fear that they might be “suspended like what happened the last time when they “defied” advice from the human resources committee on hiring of Dube.

A livid board reportedly instructed the executive to put their house in order and brief them today about a decision that they would have made with regards to the CEO’s matter.

The board questioned the executive members’ motive for demanding a written assurance for a decision that they will deliver for the good of the club.

Highlanders spokesperson Ronald Moyo said: “It’s true that there was a joint board and executive meeting last Wednesday but I’m not privy to what was discussed. Please note that such meetings always happen periodically so there’s nothing amiss about last week’s joint meeting,” said Moyo. Chronicle

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