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Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS FC chairman Peter Dube yesterday made a passionate appeal to bona fide members to attend Sunday’s annual general meeting at the Highlanders Clubhouse so that they can share ideas on how to make the club successful.“Our annual general meeting is on Sunday and Highlanders belongs to the people and every bona fide Bosso member should attend this meeting so that they hear the progress of the club right from the horse’s mouth instead of hearsay.
Since Highlanders belongs to the people, we will be discussing all matters pertaining to the club and it is our wish that even members who have been critical on social networks must attend the meeting.
“Anyone with ideas that they believe can help shape the institution into a better entity can come and throw in their views for discussion,” said Dube.
Beside the chairman’s report, items on Sunday’s annual general meeting agenda include reading and confirmation of minutes of the previous meeting, matters arising from previous minutes, adopting the chairman’s report, receiving and adopting the treasurer’s report, receiving and adopting the board’s report and confirmation of legal representatives and accountants.
On legal representation, Highlanders’ leadership sought the services of Calderwood, Bryce Hendrie and Partners on the advice of Phulu and Ncube law firm to represent them in a case that was brought against the team by previous boss Themba Ndlela.
Dube is on record as saying that Phulu and Ncube were still Bosso’s legal representatives and had given the club their blessing to seek the services of another law firm, after they (Phulu and Ncube) felt the case against Ndlela was difficult to defend.
“Phulu and Ncube remain our lawyers and we only sought Calderwood, Bryce Hendrie and Partners’ services on the advice of Phulu and Ncube. I think people should understand that in any situation a lawyer can advise you to take one route or the other. If he feels there are reasons that he cannot take up the case it is your right as a client to seek others,” Dube said.
Phulu and Ncube recused themselves from the case after they reportedly told Highlanders there was no basis for defence in a court of law after the club signed an acknowledgement of debt to Ndlela on the advise of their auditors just as an accounting procedure. He said even if they were going to lose the case it was going to be difficult for them not to challenge Ndlela’s claims, as they could not authenticate the origins of the debt.
Ndlela is claiming $9,010 which he lent the club and Highlanders agreed to pay him back by July 24, 2013 but has failed to do so hence the court action.
Previously Ndlela had said the money was given to Highlanders in 2011 when he was chairman. There are no minutes to that effect nor any during Dube’s term.
On Sunday, members will be briefed on the case’s progress. Player acquisitions have always been a thorny issue with Highlanders members and they are likely to take the executive to task about allowing players’ contracts to run out.
The club has been humstrung by lack of adequate financial resources to tie players to longer contracts because of debts inherited from previous executives headed by Ndlela and Ernest Sibanda.
Bosso have lost striker Njabulo Ncube and Masimba Mambare to FC Platinum and their arch-rivals Dynamos and are still hoping that goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, Milton Ncube and Peter “Rio” Moyo who are on national duty renew their contracts when they return from South Africa.
What can come to the executive’s defence is that they have managed to retain most of their players while making five additions in the form of Khumbulani Banda, exciting Valentine Ndaba, Welcome Ndiweni, Njabulo Nyoni and Joel Ngodzo.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter