Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS CEO, Denzil Mnkandla, is smiling once again.
He walked out of a disciplinary tribune all smiles yesterday after all the charges against him were withdrawn by his employers.
He has been suspended twice since the beginning of the year following a trip to Botswana undertaken in March where Highlanders were duped of over US$20,000 in Gaborone.
Highlanders acting chairman, Kindman Ndlovu, confirmed yesterday that Mnkandla was off the hook on a labour issue.
The decision was taken to reduce the club’s exposure to potential litigation.
Ndlovu said the decision to withdraw the case before independent prosecutor Ndabezinhle Mazibuko, chairman of the disciplinary tribune, Vusi Vuma and Solomon Mguni, was arrived at after Highlanders lawyer Nqobile Sithole gave an opinion after looking at the facts.
“The club has a lawyer who we engage on all legal matters and anything to do with the club so that we stay on the right side of law or labour laws.
“Throughout we were in communication with him, we kept him in the picture and when time to advise came, he advised us to withdraw the case.
“He looked at the case and circumstances and advised anything otherwise would leave Highlanders exposed to litigation,” said Ndlovu.
The Highlanders chairman also disclosed that the club had only withdrawn the labour case and had left the other bit still in the hands of the police.
“Our position does not interfere with the commercial crimes case before ZRP. We will abide and co-operate with them fully.
“But for now, Mnkandla has been cleared of the labour case which we were dealing with internally,” said Ndlovu.
Mnkandla will now wait for a signal from the club on when to start work.
“Obviously we will meet as an executive and deliberate on the outcome of today’s hearing where the case was withdrawn.
“Following last month’s hearing, the club had sought an opinion from our lawyer who was duly confirmed at the annual general meeting by members at the beginning of the year who opined that we should reinstate Mnkandla to his position, so we now have to meet and discuss the way forward. His return will certainly be anytime soon,” said Ndlovu.
Vuma who chaired the tribune, confirmed that the case had been withdrawn.
