New chairman needs to move fast to heal Bosso divisions

Dingilizwe Ntuli

CONGRATULATIONS to Johnfat Sibanda for his election as the new Highlanders Football Club chairman for the next three years and hopefully he will rise above the interests of his social group Amavevane and embrace all club members and former officials regardless of whether they supported him or not in last Sunday’s club polls.

Sibanda edged Kenneth Mhlophe by five votes in a closely contested poll, securing 154 votes to the former chairman’s 149.

The Highlanders’ membership is in danger of being dangerously divided unless Sibanda acts decisively and swiftly to heal the divisions in the club caused by the acrimonious run-up to the club’s elections.

Bosso members converged at the clubhouse to elect a chairman, secretary-general and committee member after more than a month of acrimony caused by the board’s decision to retain the club’s executive after being refused permission to gather for its annual general elections and elections.

Some members felt that the three executives, Mhlophe, secretary-general Israel Moyo and committee member Wisdom Mabhena should have stepped aside because their three-year terms had ended.

They wanted vice-chairman Modern Ngwenya to take over the reins in a caretaker role and three members to be co-opted into the executive until elections were held.

Insults, accusations and counteraccusations flew on social media, as some members attacked the board for ‘breaching’ the club’s constitution, while others defended the board, saying its hands were tied by the authorities’ refusal to grant Bosso permission to congregate for the two events.

The board didn’t budge and the battlelines were seemingly drawn. The tension was palpable last Sunday as members arrived at the clubhouse for the elections.

Members were assembling in small groups around the clubhouse grounds and some were still canvassing for votes for their chairmanship candidate at the gate.

Anger and disdain against Mhlophe’s administration and Mhlophe personally were initially being expressed in whispers before the elections and announcement of results at the clubhouse, but more openly in the aftermath.

Sibanda’s supporters even displayed bravado triumphalism, leaving the vanquished Mhlophe cutting a forlorn figure before he eventually exited the clubhouse in a sad posture of defeat.

There was hardly any talking to each other with compassion and empathy across their differences.

The divisiveness, hate, misunderstandings, anger and bewilderment are not going to stop automatically simply because the club’s elections are over and Sibanda needs to act swiftly to unite the membership.

He needs to take the leading role in reducing the polarisation, division and tensions created by the electioneering and unite the membership in its diversity.

This healing process can only work by being candid about how deeply divided the club is, from the board right down to the general membership.

Dangerous and unfortunate statements such as “Highlanders has returned to its rightful owners” should be condemned for triggering many unanswered questions.

This statement suggests that Highlanders had been captured and now the rightful owners, of whom Sibanda is the leader, have reclaimed it.

This then begs the question; in whose hands were Highlanders under the chairmanship of Mhlophe? Who had captured the club and who are these rightful owners?

A legitimate clash of interests can occur without invoking emotions that stoke such thinly veiled tribalism and Sibanda should strongly condemn such utterances.

The new chairman must outrightly reject attempts by what he called faceless individuals to use his victory as a rallying point for toxicity to scare fellow members into believing that the new Bosso administration will be inhospitable to concerns from those outside the so called ‘rightful owners’ group.

Admittedly, Sibanda may not have power over what people write on social media, but he should sternly reprimand them that weaponising differing opinions at Bosso for ulterior motives is dangerous to the club’s long-term stability.

A state of discord is the last thing Highlanders need at a time when they have no main sponsor and the Premier Soccer League is about to resume.

No conflict is compatible with any sponsorship brand and the sooner Bosso leaders distance themselves from it, the better.

It’s quite evident that the discord at Highlanders borders on personality conflicts and dislikes, and it will have a detrimental effect on the team when football starts if left unresolved.

A respectful relationship around genuine love for Highlanders, even without personal closeness, is what Bosso members need, especially those holding leadership positions, to help take the club forward and improve results on the pitch.

After all, Highlanders proudly refer to themselves as ‘iteam yezwe lonke’ and it’s unnecessary and dangerous.