Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
FORMER Highlanders Football Club chief executive officer Brian Moyo has denied accusations of fraud while his co-accused, former Bulawayo Chiefs FC administrator Andrew Mandigora, has thrown in the towel and admitted guilt in a courtroom drama that’s sent shockwaves through the local football community.
The two football executives stand accused of cooking up a dodgy scheme involving the manipulation of player transfer deals. The court heard that Moyo and Mandigora allegedly inflated transfer figures and pocketed the difference, defrauding their respective clubs in the process.
Moyo is alleged to have submitted a bogus invoice of US$23 000 to Highlanders — US$5 000 more than the actual fee agreed with Bulawayo Chiefs for the two players, Never Rauzhi and Malvern Hativagoni, which stood at US$18 000.
He was in connivance with the then Chiefs administrator, Mandigora.
Sources say the matter came to light in the most unlikely way, when Bosso board chairperson Luke Mnkandla and Chiefs owner Lovemore Sibanda were having a casual chat.
“Mnkandla jokingly ‘complained’ to Sibanda that they had overcharged them on the sale of the two players but Sibanda hit back, saying Bosso must be grateful because the figure was initially US$23 000, but they had actually extended a US$5 000 discount. The rest is history.
Appearing in court recently, Mandigora, represented by Mandla Ndlovu, pleaded guilty without hesitation. His swift confession was noted by the magistrate, who commended him for not wasting the court’s time.
Mandigora, clearly singing for his supper, begged for leniency, saying he was a first-time offender, a breadwinner, and deeply remorseful.
The court showed mercy but didn’t let him off scot-free.
He was slapped with a US$400 fine payable by 31 July. If he fails to pay, he’ll face four months behind bars. Additionally, six months were suspended on condition that he stays squeaky clean and doesn’t commit a similar offence for the next three years.
However, Moyo through his lawyer- like Reggae Dancehall superstar Shaggy in the 2000 smash hit ‘it wasn’t me’ denied all the charges. He was granted US$200 bail and will face trial before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Richard Ramaboea. As part of his bail conditions, he must report to the police weekly, stay at his given address, and not interfere with witnesses.
The alleged fraud has raised eyebrows across Zimbabwe’s football circles, with fans and stakeholders demanding tighter controls and more transparency in player transfers, an area often murky with secret commissions and suspicious payments.
“Football should unite communities, not rob them,” said one furious fan outside the court. “If these guys really stole from the clubs, they must go down.”
The case has become the talk of the terraces, with many wondering just how deep the rot runs in the local game.
As Mandigora prepares to pay for his crime and Moyo gears up to prove his innocence, the scandal has blown the whistle on shady dealings behind the scenes of Zimbabwean football. —
