Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira
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AS has become the norm over the years, the Zimbabwe Saints hierarchy once again finds themselves at loggerheads.
At one time the battle for the control of the club went all the way to the Bulawayo High Court.
The club, which is playing in the Zifa Southern Region Division One league, once again finds itself at war, this time, over the clubhouse funds which are allegedly being misused.
Chauya Chikwata has been using their own clubhouse to host their home matches this season. The place which also houses a bar and Shisa Nyama had not been functional up until renovations were made to the place last year.
Chronicle Sport is in possession of a letter from the executive seeking clarity from the board of trustees on how the funds from the sports club are being channeled.
“We refer to our numerous requests for a meeting between the board and the executive, which have for reasons known to the board of trustees chairman been turned down. We hereby notify you that it has come to our attention that US$ 1 500 is being generated from these clubhouse rentals.
“We believe that this income which forms about 80% of our monthly budget, should rightfully be utilised as club working capital is being channeled to other sources other than club operations. Without this input in its entirety, we as an executive cannot continue to sustain the operations of the club with immediate effect.
“You will appreciate that to date we have been using our private resources a situation that cannot continue to prevail because we do not have the financial muscle but the team at heart. At the time of writing, we had borrowed US$ 64 for transport and food for players. The Club also owes for renovations done to the sports club ground to meet Zifa league requirements,” reads the letter.
Zimbabwe Saints Board of Trustees Chairman Vincent Pamire professed ignorance about the letter.
“I have not received such a letter. Neither has my vice chairman. As the board of trustees, we gave the executive the mandate to run the club. If there are problems you go back to those that put you in a position of power and seek guidance. The executive is never mandated to run the operations of the clubhouse but the club which is presently not performing well. The running of the club is their mandate,” said Pamire.
Zimbabwe Saints are second from bottom on the league table with a single point from seven games.
Chauya Chikwata, relegated from the Premier League in 2011, was thrown out of Division One in 2014 for failing to pay $2 500 in affiliation fees.
They were on the sidelines before registering in the Zifa Bulawayo Province Division Two League in 2015, where they finished 13th.
Zimbabwe Saints’ manoeuvres to play in Division One in 2016 hit a brick wall after they failed to raise funds to acquire the Quelaton franchise, which had been surrendered by Nust.
Chikwata last played in the Premier Soccer League in 2011 after they had bought the Chitungwiza-based Eagles’ franchise at the behest of businessman Felix Dzumbunu following their relegation to the lower league in 2006.
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