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Mzingaye Sibanda, Sports Reporter
FORMER Premiership giants Zimbabwe Saints FC members have demanded the club back.
The members insist that the team should be owned by the community and not by shareholders.This comes at a time the club is reported to be struggling to raise money to clear its arrears with Zifa Southern Region.
Chawuya Chikwata as Saints are popularly known, have fallen on hard times as they owe the motherbody $5,000 in affiliation and registration fees.
Yesterday Saints members stormed the Chronicle newsroom saying they wanted the Gibson Homela and Jabulani Chinyangarara led executive to come out clear regarding the future of the team.
“If they have failed to run the club they should bring it back to the community because it is embarrassing to hear that Saints are no longer playing. We as members can find people who are committed and willing to revive the team. They are people like Elliot Manduna and Daniel Muchena they can help us.
“We demand answers from Homela and Chinyangarara, they at least should have the decency to explain to us what is going-on,” said Geshon Mbundire.
Jabulani Ncube called all Saints members and sympathisers to meet at Emabutweni ground this Sunday to strategise the way forward.
“It’s been three years since we last had a general meeting, we are calling all Chikwata members and sympathisers to meet at Emabutweni to map the way forward which includes among others the reviving the clubhouse which is in Queen’s Park East. The club can be turned into the team’s cash cow,” said Ncube.
Zimbabwe Saints chairman Gibson Homela, blamed the problems on the board. He said as the executive they were committed to getting the club back on track.
“The board is the one responsible for the team and like I have said before, we are working extra hard to address the team’s challenges. We have been sending personal messages to shareholders but we are not getting any response. What we are saying is that if the board to which I am reporting to admits that they have failed, then we have no problem handing over the club to the so called community.
“To my surprise we haven’t been selling membership cards in the last two years but they are free to hold their meeting,” said Homela.
Zimbabwe Saints is one of the oldest clubs in Zimbabwe. They were established in 1931 and won the league in 1977 and 1988.
They also won the Independence Cup twice in 1989 and 1998 and the FA Cup three times in 1977, 1979 and 1987.
Famous for its youth development programme, the club has been home to some of the finest footballers to ever grace the Zimbabwe stadia such as Joseph Machingura, Agent Sawu, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Ronald Sibanda, Henry McKop, Ephraim Chawanda, Gibson Homela, John Sibanda, Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo and the late Obey Sova and William Sibanda.
Saints could be booted out of the the league if they do not fulfil their fixture this weekend.
Online Reporter