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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
PREMIER Soccer League board member (finance), Webster Chikengezha, triggered the soul-searching exercise that has gripped the organisation after he questioned the way the secretariat were handling the top-flight league’s financial transactions.
Chikengezha, who is the Dynamos secretary-general, also questioned why he wasn’t a signatory to the league’s financial transactions even though the man he replaced, as board member in charge of finance, used to be a signatory to the league’s accounts.
The Harare business executive said he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t empowered to control the league’s expenditure, when he was the board member in charge of finance, and questioned how he was supposed to give a report to the assembly on the league’s finances when he wasn’t in control.
Chikengezha expressed his concerns by writing to the PSL chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, and finance and administration manager, Cuthbert Mutandwa, demanding that the duo provide him with detailed reports.
Mutandwa has since provided his reply, in the form of an explosive dossier, which paints a sorry picture of a Premiership being torn apart by vicious boardroom battles within its secretariat and questionable corporate governance systems that he claims are stifling the growth of its brand.
His boss, Ndebele, has yet to respond to Chikengezha’s concerns related to how the league’s finances were being run by the PSL office.
Although the PSL leaders on Wednesday refused to be drawn into discussing Mutandwa’s dossier and the sensational and damaging claims contained in the 28-page document, The Herald established that the soul-searching exercise was triggered by Chikengezha’s concerns over how the finances were being handled.
On October 10 this year, Chikengezha sent e-mails to Ndebele and Mutandwa in which the PSL board member (finance) shared his concerns with the two senior employees at the league’s office.
“I express my dissatisfaction on the way we are running our accounts,” Chikengezha said in his e-mail.
“No monthly reports. Former Board Member Finance were signatory to the accounts but I have not been afforded the opportunity to control expenditure. No payments requests are sent to me for approval. I don’t have cash flows. At the end of the day I am the one to report on the use of money to the assembly and yet I do not have any say in how the money is being used.
“I was made to understand that the bookkeeper was to help but I am surprised that we are still in the same situation before the employment of the bookkeeper. What is going on? Can I have answers please?”
Mutandwa duly replied that he had received the communication.
“Noted and will give a detailed explanation when I get into office after the Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-finals,” said Mutandwa in his response.
“I am in Beitbridge.”
Nine days after sending his first email, Chikengezha followed that correspondence with another e-mail on October 19, 2013, advising the PSL office that he had taken over full control of the league’s financial transactions with immediate effect.
“With effect from today no payments should be made unless I authorise them,” Chikengezha announced in his e-mail.
“I need to know bank balances on a daily basis. This is the duty of the Finance Manager.”
Again, Mutandwa replied: “Noted, with thanks.”
It has also emerged that one of the issues that triggered vicious boardroom battles at the PSL office involved the wrangle over whether to use the electronic or manual ticketing system for its matches.
The Harare company that had been engaged to supply the electronic ticketing system, Zwane Multi Ride Ticket System, wrote a damning letter, in May 2011, when it emerged that the PSL office had decided to revert to the manual ticketing system.
Zwane MRTS, in their letter, made a number of allegations against a senior official, at the PSL office, claiming that he had a direct interest, in terms of business opportunities, to benefit from a conversion to the manual ticketing system.
“We thank you for your business again this year,” Bekithemba Mbambo of Zwane MRTS, said in their letter to the PSL.
“However, we have noted that the (official) of the PSL has been doing his uttermost to return PSL to manual pre-printed tickets. We refer to the following:
2010 BancABC Cup final in Harare. The PSL (official) wanted to pre-print 65 000 tickets on a match that was attended by only 10 500 spectators.
The PSL (official) phoned the chief cashier in the Zifa-run Independence Trophy semi-final between Highlanders and Motor Action in Bulawayo and instructed that Zwane should not be paid at the stadium. At the corresponding semi-final match in Harare, Zifa paid Zwane for the match at the stadium.
The Highlanders-Dynamos match was ticketed on pre-printed tickets.
“At first Zwane has been at a loss as to this seemingly illogical behaviour, but we have been recently made aware of the fact that Mr (the PSL official) is in the business of supplying pre-printed tickets.
“He recently approached a big organisation and touted for the supply of pre-printed tickets. This means that he is a direct competitor of Zwane and has been using his position to frustrate Zwane.
“This clearly shows that any misgivings he has about the electronic ticketing system are motivated by personal gain. He is willing to use his position to sell teams a largely discredited system as long as he gains personally. In future it would be to the advantage of all concerned, even Mr (the PSL official), if the portfolio of gate ticketing was removed from his office. That way, we would also be able to bid for the service without conflict of interest.”
Online Reporter