Ndlela takes Bosso to court

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders FC chairman Themba Ndlela has taken legal action against the Bulawayo club over a $9 000 debt owed to him. According to sources, the ex-Bosso boss engaged a lawyer from a city law firm (name supplied) to help him recover his dues after Highlanders failed to respond to three letters of demand he wrote to them. The club received the last letter last month.

Bosso, according to sources close to the law firm, were given up to yesterday to pay the debt.

“It is true that the former chairman (Ndlela) has taken legal action to recover the money he lent to the club. Actually, he wrote three letters before engaging lawyers to write to the club and Highlanders were given an ultimatum to settle the debt by midweek (yesterday),” said the source.

Repeated efforts to get a comment from Ndlela were fruitless as his mobile number was not reachable but another source from the law firm confirmed that they were handling a matter involving the former chairman and Highlanders.
“The problem now is that all the lawyers are out but someone (name supplied) is handling the case.

“Try him tomorrow for more details,” said the  source.
Contacted for comment, Bosso chairman Dube could neither confirm nor deny the litigation case.

“I cannot waste time validating your story. Anyway, assuming that I confirm if it’s true, how does it benefit Highlanders or even Ndlela.
“Instead of people looking at ways to help the club in a more positive way, they are busy feeding you with such information.

“Let me not comment any further since you have said your sources told you the matter is in court because that might turn out to be sub judice,” said Dube.

Highlanders are going through a difficult financial patch. Ndlela inherited a debt of more than $40 000 from Ernest Sibanda’s led executive and it ballooned to more than $400 000 during his tenure. The present executive is grappling with a debt of more than $500 000.

Ndlela was Highlanders’ chairman from 2009 to February 2012 when he lost the elections to Peter Dube.
The club’s treasurer Jerry Sibanda told members at the mid-year annual general meeting that they also owe former coaches Madinda Ndlovu and Mkhuphali Masuku $21 000 and $12 000 respectively. The team doctor Xolani Ndlovu is also owed the same amount as Masuku according to Sibanda’s report.

Madinda was hired by Highlanders in 2009 as the head coach and was fired in September that year and was replaced by Mohamed Fathi.

The legendary striker had signed a two-year deal, earning $4 500 a month with $3 000 coming from the club’s then sponsors Savannah Tobacco while Highlanders paid the difference. After Madinda left, Highlanders were supposed to pay him up to the end of his term.

When Fathi was fired during the 2010 season, Masuku came in on interim basis and was appointed as the substantial coach in January 2011. Bosso failed to pay part of his salary but the dreadlocked gaffer soldiered on until the end of the season when news were broken that Zambian expatriate Kelvin Kaindu had been engaged.