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Innocent B Ncube
“I think we should be mindful that there is something big that unites us than what divides us. Highlanders is bringing us together and I believe in all this we should all put the interests of the club ahead of individual or personal interests.” President Mdala Jimmy Ncube said.
Introduction
Today is election day at Highlanders. This age-old tradition has been passed from generation to generation creating the base for the sustenance of arguably Zimbabwe’s longest existing social institution. The words of the venerated Bosso president emblazoned as the by-line of this opinion article encapsulate the essence of the Highlanders phenomenon. It is sustained by the spirits of the departed in as much as it is by the convictions and actions of the living. With this in mind, I want to reflect on the meaning of these elections within the broader context of contributing to the discourse of improving the leadership capacity of the club. From the onset, I will nail my colours on the mast by stating that I am an avowed insider, having spent 22 years to this year as a member of this glorious club hence my ensuing critique is in good faith and largely meant to stimulate debate. There are five areas of concern that I would like to highlight, and these are; apathy need for a membership register, the unfolding pattern of unopposed chairpersons, the potential of an acrimonious working relationship between the incoming chairperson and the incumbent deputy, case for administration talent identification and leadership development.
Apathy
Highlanders pride themselves as a huge club with thousands of followers (4 000+ is the card carrying membership figure usually quoted), yet in the recent election cycles and annual general meetings, apathy has characterised its selection of leaders and policy debates. In numbers, in the 2012 elections only 353 members cast their vote, three years later, the numbers dropped to 229, the 2016 vice-chairperson and treasurer polls had only 201 attending. Last week’s Annual General Meeting began with 123 bona fide members. In interpreting this challenge, it is important to find out why there has been a disengagement by members. These low numbers negate the club’s big brand status and has an effect of harming its negotiating ability with potential sponsors. The club needs to demonstrate its size in real numbers for it to claim that it is a mass organisation that has pulling power for brands to be attracted to it. This apathy has also permeated into the football side of things with dwindling match attendance figures.
Membership register
One can explain the match day attendance in economic difficulty terms but participation at Highlanders elections is free for the already paid up members hence no excuse. In actual fact political organisations which sell “risky business” attract and retain more members than Highlanders which as a social institution with an amazing amount of goodwill should be leading in harnessing its human capital. The club needs to connect with its base lest it gets to a point where less than 100 people will be the only electoral college available hence weakening the brand. Three quick proposals to deal with apathy question. Firstly, let there be an up to date membership register that shows the numbers that are there. Secondly, the incoming executive should double their efforts to increase membership through robust outreach programmes at home and abroad. Thirdly, the club should look strongly at allowing postal votes for its members in the diaspora and tie this to financial contributions. In this way it is able to hit two birds with one stone — raise money for the club and also grow its membership base.
Unopposed
Kenneth Mhlophe will be the second chairperson in recent years that the club will install without going through an election (the immediate past chairperson Peter Dube also got his second term unopposed). This is not the fault of the candidates and no aspersions are being cast at their eligibility or probity, but it is an indictment on the club as a whole for two reasons. First, it is bad culture and inimical to the democratic practice of choosing between or among alternatives. Second, it weakens the incoming chairperson because it robs them of the overt legitimacy that comes with winning an election. For this year, the situation has a potential ricochet if not handled properly and if goodwill fails to prevail. Mhlophe contested the last vice-chairperson elections and lost narrowly to Modern Sikhuthele Ngwenya. Now these two gentlemen will have to work together, and it was going to be far easier and more comfortable for Mhlophe had he won an election because it would wipe away the 2016 discomfort. It is my hope that the Board will play its critical role to bring these two great sons of Highlanders to find a working formula. I am certain that some would find this an inconvenient truth and seek to dismiss it without applying their minds but it is a real and potential threat to the stability of the executive. Instead of burying heads in the sand a proactive strategy to weaken the effects of its impact is a must to for the Board.
Talent identification
In future, what could be done to avert this general problem of candidate shortage and authenticating a chairperson’s mandate outside an actual contest?
For the general problem of candidate drought, I lay the blame on our venerated elders, the Board and other ancillary informal elite groups at Highlanders. It is the responsibility of the elders to identify, encourage and motivate potential candidates to step forward and resent themselves for election. This may sound different from the western model of individualistic nomination, but it is in tandem with the ethos of the Club.
The phrase “inkunzi ikhethwa ematholeni” contextually means the identifying of leadership talent among a pool of young hopefuls. In addition, the club can create an informal working group of former chairpersons to develop a leadership development programme for younger members. Just imagine an initiative that provides the opportunity for the constellation of ideas from Ndumiso Gumede, Silas Ndlovu, Wyatt Mpofu, Roger Muhlwa, Kennedy Ndebele, Themba Ndlela, Ernest Maphepha Sibanda and Peter Dube among others. Leading Highlanders should be a science developed from an empirical approach of the past successes and challenges and only then can there be an opportunity for a constant flow of candidates. Having said this, it is also sad that there has also been a disengagement of a number of those who have led and those who currently lead seem to be unperturbed by this problem.
Confirmation vote
With respect to curing the unopposed problem, I suggest a confirmation vote which subjects the sole candidate to a referendum type of plebiscite which asks members to confirm the candidate on a yes or no binary choice. When the candidate wins this confirmation vote it carries the same weight as an actual election.
Parting shot
The staple campaign pitches of junior policy, bringing back Highlanders to its “owners” and “debt relief” strategies will be fed to the members again during the 1-2-minute floor speeches. Some will speak in deep Ndebele and some will sing and others will act meek. For all that I know, Highlanders election time is an interesting spectacle to get a laugh, sometimes a free beer from candidates and to watch democracy at work — that is if you are not the candidate. Candidates will be perspiring profusely as they await the results because you never know with the guile laden Bosso electorate — they all claim to have voted for you yet when you reconcile your final tally numbers do not add up! Let us keep the club alive and continuously improve its democratic practices. Wishing the new Executive all the best!
-Ncube is a Highlanders FC life member reading elections, campaigns and democracy at the Democracy and Elections Research Centre, Royal Holloway, University of London. Email: [email protected]
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