Tembo blasts How Mine chairman

Senior Sports Reporter
HOW Mine’s head of delegation to Nigeria, Robert Tembo, yesterday caused a stir just before the team departed when he came out guns blazing describing club chairman Mlondolozi Nkomo as a nonentity in football. Tembo, who was a last minute replacement for a Zifa councillor from Matabeleland North who refused to go to Nigeria preferring to attend the association’s elections on Saturday, was frantically trying to prove that he deserved to lead the club against Bayelsa United.

“I am not new in football, in fact I have been there longer than the so-called How Mine chairman whom I don’t even know,” fumed Tembo who was holding a local newspaper that had carried a story on the confusion surrounding the identity of the How Mine head of delegation.
He said: “I have not been handpicked from the streets, I am an experienced football person.”

Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said the choice of head of delegation was the discretion of the association.
Usually councillors accompany teams but a majority of the trips have been undertaken by board members against the association’s resolution. Of late councillors have also been given trips outside the country.

Nkomo had told some sections of the media that they had been given the name of someone from Matabeleland North but up to late Tuesday, Zifa had not confirmed only for him to receive a text message from Tembo informing him that he (Tembo) would be the head of delegation.

Tembo confirmed that he was informed of the trip on Monday afternoon.
Yesterday Nkomo reiterated his position.

“I don’t know this guy (Tembo), what worries me is that Zifa failed to tell us the name of the HOD after initial communication from Mandaza (Musa). Tembo just sent a text asking for an air ticket from us and it’s unfortunate if he says such things about me yet we will be travelling together,” said Nkomo.

The Zifa elections have been a lucrative occasion for some councillors, some of whom reportedly bought cars after the 2010 elections.
A trip to Nigeria would see the head of delegation getting about $500 for the duration of the trip, far less than the alleged figures that some voters have been promised to deliver the “right vote”.