adminTHE recently elected Highlanders Football Club Harare supporters’ chapter has pledged to play its part in turning around the club’s financial position.
Following elections held at a hotel in the capital on Africa Day, Engineer Modern Ngwenya was ushered in as chairman. Ngwenya will be deputised by stockbroker Derrick Ncube.
Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe chapter director Nhlanhla Ngwenya was voted in as secretary while banker Meron Mushayavanhu fittingly took up the post of treasurer.
Elections were supervised by Highlanders vice-chairman Mgcini Mpofu and the club’s secretary-general Emmet Ndlovu while 69 Harare-based members cast their ballots.
Harare chapter chairman Ngwenya said since most businesses had their headquarters in Harare, they would strive during the three years they would be in office to mobilise resources to assist the club more so during their travels to the capital.
Ngwenya pointed out that during the time when Highlanders were winning championships, four in a row in 1998, 1999, 2002 and the other one in 2006 they had a vibrant Harare supporters’ chapter which played a massive role in motivating the players each time the team went to Harare to fulfill a fixture.
Former secretary-general Nhlanhla Dube and current vice-chairman Mpofu were rewarded with posts in the Highlanders executive because of the sterling work they had done with the Harare supporters’ chapter.
“Business is centralised in Harare, nothing is happening in Bulawayo, so our task is to put resources together, make sure the team is catered for, assist each time the team comes to Harare. We are not promising to provide for all the expenses, we will assist where we can,’’ said Ngwenya.
“We also want to recommend talented players in Harare to join Highlanders. I am the one who brought Obert Tafira (the lanky forward who has been training with Highlanders) to Bulawayo, we will help identify talent in Harare and bolster our team,’’ added Ngwenya.
Before the latest voting process, there was no substantive Highlanders supporters’ structure in Harare since former chairman Mpofu was elevated to the Highlanders executive at the beginning of 2013.
Ngwenya said since there was a legitimate supporters structure in place, they can officially start helping the club. The executive meets every Thursday at the same hotel where elections were conducted and the maiden road show under the Ngwenya leadership took place last Saturday when Highlanders faced FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane, a match which ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
It is expected that the Harare supporters’ chapter will play a huge part when Highlanders take on fierce rivals Dynamos in the capital during week 14 of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Highlanders resolved at their annual general meeting early this year to set up supporters structures around the country and outside to harness financial resources for the financially challenged institution whose debts keep spiralling every year. Chapters have already been put together in South Africa, with Victoria Falls, greater Bulawayo to be set up before end of the month while plans are also in place to establish a structure in Botswana later on in the year.
Harare chapter full executive
Chairman: Modern Ngwenya
Vice-chairman: Derrick Ncube
Secretary: Nhlanhla Ngwenya
Treasurer: Meron Mushayavanhu
Committee member (road shows): Pride Ndlovu
Assistant: Peter Pongolwani
Committee member (entertainment): Daniel Lunga
Online Reporter