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Raymond Jaravaza
EVERYBODY was Fong Kong fighting, those Bosso guys were as fast as lightning!
Highlanders FC with the help of the police embarked on two separate raids in Bulawayo and Harare and confiscated merchandise worth thousands of dollars sold illegally by street vendors and shop owners who didna��t see it coming.
For two hours non-stop, in Bulawayo last Tuesday Highlanders marshals (izikwamula), led the teama��s officials and the police to raid four shops.
A simultaneous raid was done in Harare. To show that Bosso meant business and had a case, one shop manager was hauled before the courts and fined $20 or five days in prison for selling Highlanders merchandise without the cluba��s consent.
Replica jerseys and tracksuits from the capital city raid will be destroyed with no compensation given.
Every scam has a ring leader and the police in Harare are keen on interviewing a man believed to be the a�?distributora�� of Highlanders branded wares to various shops and street vendors in the capital city.
In Bulawayo, shops close to Egodini Terminus, Unity Village and Hamara were raided with over 100 replica jerseys and tracks suits confiscated. In another shop in the central business district, a�?stocka�� had disappeared from the shelves when the team arrived. Could the owner have been tipped off?
Highlanders is keen on collecting merchandise from the Bulawayo raids for resale.
And more raids will be conducted, according to chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede.
The club is also working with the police to obtain search warrants to enable them to search store rooms and not limit the raids to merchandise only displayed in the shops.
a�?The first round of raids was a success because we managed to confiscate a substantial number of replica jerseys and tracksuits. The police advised us to obtain search warrants to enable us go into store rooms and back rooms where the shop owners keep the merchandise.
a�?In Harare a shop manager was arrested and appeared before the courts and we hope that will deter anyone entertaining the idea of selling Highlanders merchandise without our authorisation.
a�?Replica jerseys sell for about $25 on the streets while tracksuits are slightly higher and the club is losing a lot of revenue,a�? said Gumede.
The Bosso chief administrator said vendors and shop owners should take advantage of the open door policy at the club when dealing with legitimate partners interested in selling Highlanders branded wares.
a�?Those interested in selling our merchandise should approach us at our club offices and we will regularise their operations. We have a chap that comes all the way from Chegutu who manufactures Highlanders flags, he is registered with us and just last week he was in Bulawayo to remit the percentage the club is entitled to from the sale of the flags,a�? he said.
A 10 percent levy is charged by the club for every Highlanders branded product sold by a registered vendor or shop owner.
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