Bosso snub former players

According to a source at Highlanders, the clubs’ leaders were not happy with some clauses of the constitution, arguing that some of the clauses were in total conflict with the club.
Highlanders also wanted to get clarity on the former players’ definition of legends, as some of them played for the club for a couple of games but now call themselves legends while also querying the morality of some of the members, especially those that once left the club to join other teams that later on sunk Bosso, in apparent reference to the former players’ treasurer Collsen Mabeza.

“How do you have somebody employed somewhere trying to influence decisions at Highlanders? We indeed recognisze and respect them for the work that they did while still playing for Bosso,” said a member of the executive.

FC Platinum head coach Rahman Gumbo is the association’s vice chairman and Tito Paketh, who has never been active in football circles, preferring a quiet life with his family, is the chairman, while Netsai Moyo is the secretary and spokesman for the association.

Bosso chairman Themba Ndlela said the official position of the club was that the Former Highlanders Players Association was not yet recognised and that position would only change if they regularised their constitution.

“The first thing they must do is to become members of Highlanders and their constitution must fall within the confines of the club’s constitution, it must not be at variance with the Highlanders constitution,” said Ndlela.
He said once that was done the executive would then look at their request just like they do with all other associations across the globe.

Highlanders said some of the former players’ objectives would not benefit the club.
Association secretary Moyo confirmed that Highlanders had some misgivings with some of the clauses in their constitution but felt the issue was now being personalised by some members of the Highlanders executive.

“I received a letter signed by the secretary, Andrew Tapela, stating various reasons for the rejection of our constitution. We have no problem with them urging us to become members first because that is part of our major objectives as former players,” said Moyo.
He said some of their members like Madinda Ndlovu, Amin Soma-Phiri, Willard Kumalo, Douglas Mloyi and Cosmas Zulu were card-carrying Highlanders members.
“As former players we want to vote and they can rest assured that we will take membership cards so that our voices are heard from within,” said Moyo.
Moyo said while they agreed with certain observations put forward by the club, they felt hard done by because of some of the reasons, especially the one which says the Highlanders constitution does not recognise

former players as they would have had contracts with the club which clearly stated their mandate.

“What they do not realise is that the issue of contracts started at a certain stage, during those old days contracts were unheard of. Some of us sasidlala ngenhliziyo because we liked Bosso,” he said.
Moyo said they would convene a meeting on 2 January to map the way forward in response to the letter.