adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
IT is systems go at Highlanders Football Club constitutional reform process after the naming of a committee to oversee the initiative. The committee comprises some members of the board, executive and paid-up club members. These include Cosmas Sikhosana, Elkana Dube, Donald Ndebele, Davies Sibanda, Innocent Ncube, Andrew Tapela, Nhlanhla Dube and Daniel Molokele with club chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede being an ex-officio member.
Gumede said the committee will meet on Wednesday albeit for the second time as they continue with the process of crafting a new charter for the football club. Fifa regional instructor for administration and management Kennedy Ndebele will be the committee’s resource person.
The committee will be divided into two with one tasked with revamping the structure of the club while the other will be expected to come up with ways of propping up the club’s finances. Elkanah Dube, Nhlanhla Dube, Ndlovu and Tapela will interrogate the structure of the club while Ncube, Sibanda, Molokele and Sikhosana are tasked with reorganising the financing mechanism of the club. Gumede said members were welcome to submit their views to the committee.
“The door is not closed to members coming with their submissions. We expect them (members) to be part of the process all the way so they can come with their submissions to the offices or email them,” said Gumede.
Gumede said the committee would report back to the members at the mid-year extra ordinary annual general meeting, with a single composite document being presented at the meeting.
“They will brief members on their progress and the direction they are taking before seeking approval for them to continue with the process. It will not be a final document but just a progress report.
“On the structure side we are looking at the organogram of the club right from the board of directors to the office staff, while at the finances side we want to incorporate the best way of increasing revenue inflows into the club. They (committee) are toying around with whether it should be a public company or a private company,” he said.
On the issue of shares, Gumede said it was under discussion and how that can be “ring fenced” to protect the legacy of the club. He said the committee would have to answer the question of “who is eligible to buy shares now and in the future” and the number one can buy/hold.
“Questions are being asked on what if someone comes with $2 million and says he wants to buy all the shares, how will that be handled? They are also coming up with requirements that one has to satisfy before they are allowed to buy shares,” said Gumede.
The constitutional reform was necessitated by the need for the club to meet Fifa Club Licensing regulations and the board decided to use the opportunity to chart a new course for the club and ensure it was ready to meet future challenges.
Despite accepting the need for change at the club’s annual general meeting in January some members were sceptical about the process saying it could be used to rubber stamp an already determined constitution by the top hierarchy instead of members having the biggest say.
Online Reporter