admin
Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
SIMBA Bhora and the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe are set on collision course after the players’ representative body challenged the Premier Soccer League new-comers to reinstate contracts of five players that were terminated recently.
The quintet, who included veteran defender Hardlife Zvirekwi, sought recourse from FUZ challenging the termination of their contracts “without just cause.”
In fact, the club parted ways with 12 players earlier this week.
Simba Bhora and FUZ have set up a meeting on Monday to iron out the sticking issues.
Zvirekwi, Nigel Godfrey Tinarwo, Kumbiraishe Kapikinyu, Blessing Mukoko and Kudakwashe Brown Wilson had their contracts unlawfully terminated.
On Wednesday, FUZ wrote to Simba Bhora demanding the reinstatement of the players “within 24 hours.”
And the club immediately responded to FUZ and scheduled a meeting with the players’ union to resolve the matter.
Yesterday, the club owner Simba Ndoro told The Herald that they want a win-win situation for both parties.
The club said they are not changing their position regarding the players.
“We received that letter and I spoke to (FUZ secretary-general) Thomas Sweswe, so we resolved that we will have a meeting on Monday over the issue.
“We want to resolve the issue amicably. As a new club, we are still learning, and we remain guided by the rules. But our position is not changing. The solution must be 50 — 50, and a win-win situation for everyone,” said Ndoro.
Ndoro said they are busy signing new players and most of the resources are being diverted to that exercise. This week the club signed a total of seven players led by former FC Platinum and Baroka winger Talent Chawapiwa.
The club wants to add more four players including a goalkeeper and a left-back. Former Dynamos goalkeeper Simba Chinani was the team’s first choice last season. But it appears the new gaffer Tonderayi Ndiraya wants to beef up that squad as the club boss indicated this week that they still require one good goalkeeper.
According to the club, Mukoko, Brown and Tinarwo are among the seven players that have been released on the grounds that they played less than ten percent of the matches last year in the Northern Region Division One League.
Zvirekwi and Kapikinyu were classified under the category of being released for other reasons together with other players who have left the club.
Midfielder Ronald Chitiyo requested to be released from his contract.
In a letter addressed to the club secretary Taurai Janhi, FUZ indicated that they will start legal proceedings today if they don’t get any recourse from the club.
“We wish to refer you to a fixed-term standard employment contract concluded between Simba Bhora FC and the concerned players with different start and end dates.
“We advise that the club has terminated the players’ contracts without just cause which is a serious violation of the employment relationship which we are not willing to tolerate.
“We demand the club to reverse this anomaly within the next 24 hours, failure of which we will initiate legal proceedings with compensation against Simba Bhora,” wrote FUZ.
Simba Bhora have already indicated that they are releasing a number of players to pave way for fresh blood at the club as they seek to make a statement of intent in their debut top-flight season.
Ndoro said they had a bloated squad last season where they were forced to sign more players during the season to fend off competition in the race for promotion.
Naturally, the club has had to release some of those players to keep their salary bill under control. Simba Bhora have retained about 15 players who were in their books last season.
Online Reporter