adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS members yesterday unanimously agreed to a new order that will see among other changes membership fees going down to $5, while the board of directors will cease to exist on December 31, 2017.
Ordinary and annual membership fees are presently at $50, while life membership is pegged at $150, which enables the club to raise about $6,000. However, the Elkanah Dube-led Highlanders rebranding committee feels it’s not enough for an institution of Bosso’s calibre.
The members also agreed that Highlanders will not sell shares to the general public so as to prevent the 90-year-old club from being “hijacked by cash moguls that might not even have a clue of what Highlanders is and stands for”.
“The new organisational structure will be led by club directors, who will have a chief executive officer directly under them. In essence, the board of directors will cease to exist by December 31, 2017, and will be replaced by what we will call a council of elders, who will largely be ceremonial, abadala nje, to consult on certain key and critical matters,” said Dube.
He said members were in unison concerning the issue of shares, probably to protect the institution from being infiltrated.
“We agreed as a committee that no one person should own Bosso, even a percentage of it, because once that is agreed, it becomes difficult to hedge against cash moguls coming and taking over Highlanders,” Dube said.
The former Highlanders vice-chairman said as a result, the incumbent vice-chairman and treasurer have to forfeit one year of their term as elections for all positions will be held in 2018 under the new regulations. The two terms were meant to come to an end in 2019.
Members also agreed to cede 40 percent of the total shares for the academy to outside investors, while the club retains 60 percent.
“What we are saying here is that we want technical people with the skills and resources to have shares in our juniors. They will do all the work in terms of identifying young talent, nurture it through and from us without Highlanders incurring any expenses, but it is Highlanders, who will have the final say on who graduates to the first team,” said Dube.
Bosso has over the last couple of years lost talented youngsters to other city teams with better resources as they would undertake to pay school fees for the players and assist their families with groceries.
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