Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) has challenged the decision to dissolve its board by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union ahead of ZRU’s elective annual general meeting tomorrow.
ZRU dissolved the BMRFB board accusing it of “paralysing the smooth running” of the game in Bulawayo despite the new board’s efforts to revive and expand the game in the province.
ZRU chief executive officer Sifiso Made said the national body’s executive reached a unanimous decision to dissolve BMRFB due to infighting within the provincial association.
The BMRFB board responded to ZRU in a letter dated March 2.
“As for the resolution, with all due respect, we feel the union has defeated its constitution. We have inspected the constitution and note that there is no provision for the union to retire the board of an affiliate. This is section 16 of the constitution. Further inspecting the constitution, it suggests in section 44, that our board can be retired or dissolved by our affiliates,” reads excerpts of the BMRFB response.
“That being the case, we feel you have not fairly treated our board. And as such, we seek your indulgence on this matter. We appeal on the strengths of these points and seek a favorable return from yourselves or at the very least, a fair one. Please treat it as urgent. Should we fail to realise fair treatment we shall have no choice but to seek counsel from legal experts.”
The timing of BMRFB’s suspension raised eyebrows, with some in the province dismissing ZRU’s move as a ruse to prevent Bulawayo from having a say in the running and development of rugby in the country.
The dissolved BMRFB, comprising chairman Craig Change, vice-chairman Thembelani Ncube and secretary George Hlatshwayo, had instituted an audit for the period 2017 to 2019 in a bid to foster transparency and cleanse the game’s image in the province.
It had also indicated its intentions to shut down the popular Hartsfield Tshisa Nyama and retain the ground as an exclusive rugby venue.
The new board introduced an Under-21 league that was attracting fans back to Hartsfield, with numbers growing every week.
Efforts were being made to revive women’s rugby in the province.
Online Reporter