‘Sponsors promised to clear Brito debt’

HIGHLANDERS chairman Kenneth Mhlophe has said the club did not feature in its financials at the annual general meeting on January 26, the Baltemar Brito debt as there was a promise from the sponsors that it would be cleared before the meeting.

The popular Zimbabwe club had been given up to January 25 to have paid in full what it owed to former coaches or risk a ban on transfers.

Highlanders were bailed out by Wicknell Chivhayo who has since paid the money and Fifa are expected to lift the transfer freeze.

What angered members and sympathisers was that following the departure of Marvelous Chigumira, Godfrey Makaruse, Peter Muduhwa and Lynoth Chikuhwa to Scottland and some juniors, Highlanders would have struggled without the addition of new blood.

Zimbabweans, especially Highlanders followers, were stunned when The Sunday Mail and Sunday News broke a story that the team had earned itself a Fifa transfer ban.

This was after the club had failed to clear the US$27 000 debt it owed to the former coach engaged in 2022, in circumstances that planted ill feelings within the Bosso power corridors. He was employed at a salary of US$10 000 and dismally failed to deliver, despite even US$1 000 winning bonus per match.

Under his care, Highlanders scored the least number of goals in over 30 years when the club top scorer ended the season with three and the club 24.

Brito was owed US$14 778 with his assistant cum interpreter Antonio Joao Torres US$11 788 in allowances. In an interview yesterday, Mhlophe said the club had left the issue to the sponsors.

“We engaged our sponsors over the issue. Going into the annual general meeting week, all appeared in place that the debt would have been paid and we counted on their usual support,” said Mhlophe.

Sakunda and BetterBrands have been assisting Highlanders and have largely been the main reason why, despite not being a going concern, the club is still on its feet.

However, without the two, Bosso would be reeling in even worse debts.

When asked about the future of the club following the embarrassing incident in which it was eventually bailed out by millionaire Chivayo, who sprang to the rescue of the club on Sunday after our sister paper’s story, Mhlophe disclosed that Sakunda had committed to sponsoring the club.

BetterBrands, he said, had reduced their involvement with Bosso to about US$300 000 to cater for first team bonuses.

Last year they sponsored even junior teams, the Royals and development coaches.

“We are happy as a club that Sakunda and BetterBrands have promised to stay on board with us. This is sweet news, BetterBrands are ploughing US$300 000 into the first team,” said Mhlophe.

Asked on why Highlanders were suffering financially despite having a gold mine in the mineral-rich Inyathi region, Mhlophe said when he took over from Johnfat Sibanda last year, there had been no movement in the venture he had started working on in his previous term as chairman.

“There was no action at all on the mining venture. Things were still where I had left and we then began to chase paperwork. Right as we speak now, the papers have been lodged with the Ministry of Mines, once they respond we will be fine. To be honest, the mining venture is capital intensive requiring a lot of specialised machinery, financial outlay and expertise. Going forward, the club is seized with looking for investors,” said Mhlophe.

Mhlophe said Highlanders is a football club with a dream and looked forward to working with partners on the mine project.

“Our dream is to be self-sufficient and the mine is one of the projects that could raise money for us. With the paperwork at Ministry of Mines, as soon as we get it, we will look for partners. We have no capital to start the project hence we will partner, and they will pay us an agreed percentage while we concentrate on football, which is what we are about,” said Mhlophe.

He assured members that they will be reasonable in their share of the proceeds.

The club has previously sought to have a 50-50 split without investing in the equipment and expertise in mining.