Chronicle Editor
HIGHLANDERS held its elections for the chairman, executive secretary and committee member in Bulawayo on Sunday.
City businessman and farmer Kenneth Mhlophe ousted incumbent Johnfat Sibanda after amassing 165 votes compared to the latter’s 104.
Nodumo Nyathi whose candidature was seemingly supported by netizens was third with 87 votes and Eddison Dube last with two.
Sunday ended months of electioneering most of which centred around slander and now is time to go back to work and propel the club to expected great heights.
The city’s most successful club continues to subject itself to corporate governance pathways that should be an example to all other sporting institutions where public funds are a big factor. There is a genuine attempt since the early 1970s by Highlanders to separate itself from the rest of the clubs without order or seemingly kept together just by the availability of cash and company management.
We quoted Mhlophe yesterday saying it is time to unite and work towards a common goal of building a better and bigger Highlanders. He could not have said this at a better time.
Over the past two decades Highlanders elections have been the downfall of many and the club. People have stayed in election mode forever and pulled down whoever is running the show much to the detriment of the club they profess to love so much.
Factional differences brought by elections have left the club suffering more than before and even cost the club the championship as was the case in 2012 and 2013. In those two years Bosso finished the season tied on points with Dynamos only to lose on goal difference under Kelvin Kaindu, who is back as coach.
Going forward Highlanders needs to consider who votes. Members skip the annual general meeting and come for elections with no clue how the team fared financially and on the field the previous year. Elections must be held on the annual general meetings so that people who appreciate what happened in the previous 12 months vote.
If there is no change in attitude, Bosso will be better off belonging to a company or individuals and subjecting itself to a business model which is transparent in its outlook and operations.
Like one who has seen all the phases of Highlanders’ great historical moments with cup and league glory, Mhlophe is aware of the damage elections cause. Only success can save his skin and that of the executive and the board.
Members and supporters must behave like their predecessors. In the 1980s and 1990s people shook hands after the elections and rushed to a pre-season friendly and peace would prevail in the next plebiscite.
There were dejected members at the clubhouse. Yet celebration for those that had won should have been embraced as the election presented an opportunity for deserved change. That envisaged change was in all the four candidates’ minds.
Bosso has swum in mediocrity and had its own fair share of secretariat problems, some that have hit the pockets of the institution. It is time the executive grew Highlanders as a vibrant commercial entity.
The club has remained stuck with investments done by great leaders like Ndumiso Gumede. Nothing has been added on to the real estate of note except the contentious renovations at the Clubhouse.
Bosso need to have their own stadium or lease one from council and run it as a business. There is a need to look beyond football and invest in agriculture and mining which are low-hanging fruits.
Bosso was granted a mining claim, sadly four years down Sibanda and his executive could not get the ball rolling. With the sponsorship Bosso would be able to run a successful juniors project that would produce players of repute.
Highlanders board, coaches, executive, secretariat and players must know how much they contribute to the Bulawayo economy. They push sports tourism in the city.
When the club is doing well productivity is said to be high on Mondays and Tuesdays as there would be the right vibe at work. Other cities benefit from more arrivals on match days as Highlanders travel.
Online Reporter