The Sunday News
WITH Peter Dube having been confirmed as Highlanders chairman, Bosso’s elective meeting today will focus on the position of secretary-general with five candidates battling it out for the influential post.
Those contesting for the position, previously held by Andrew Tapela, include Innocent Batsani Ncube, Emmet Ndlovu, Donald Ndebele, Pilate Mahlangu and Njabulo Bango.
Four Bosso members are vying for the committee member’s portfolio among them Faith Silandulo Dube, Cleopas Ngano, incumbent Charles Moyo and Wisdom Mabhena.
There are already fears that the absence of the chairman’s vote could result in apathy as fewer members are expected to be in attendance today for the plebiscite at the Highlanders’ clubhouse.
While there are no clear favourites; the feeling among Bosso members is that the time was nigh for young minds to run the club, that certainly has a dearth in new ideas. Many believe that the time was now ripe for young minds to emulate the class of Ndumiso Gumede (then 37) , who along with Lawrence Phiri (early 40s), came in and managed to acquire properties for the club.
Ncube says it was critical to bring collective effort to the club and he was ready to assist Bosso on various fronts to ensure its future successes.
The former marketing committee member believes Bosso should answer questions around how the club can create enduring international partnerships, how it can document and earn from its rich history and how it can create more mutually beneficial relationships with former players, administrators and benefactors. The club also needs to find ways to clear its debt and enroll more engaged members.
“I believe working with other executive members. I can contribute ideas that will be critical in answering these important questions, which if responded to correctly, can take our club forward by leaps and bounds,” said Ncube.
Ndebele said his “promise to deliver” includes spearheading the transformation of Highlanders juniors into being the first fully fledged formal soccer academy in Bulawayo, enabling the club to plug any leakages intheir junior set-up.
He said the club should tap into its vast number of supporters, current technologies should be utilised by the club to enhance its brand and grow its income.
“We need to organise the supporters so that we can tap into the vast financial potential that lies with them as we seek to grow the club’s income. With a formal academy we are certainly going to realise profit from the movement of the players that we would have groomed whether they remain with us or move to other teams,” he said.
Ndlovu will bank on his previous association with Highlanders that spans over 23 years when he joined the club as a medic.
He was at one point appointed Bosso team manager hence he has intimate knowledge of Highlanders culture and systems.
His flirtation with the club for over two decades could tilt the scales in his favour.
Mahlangu said he will use his qualifications that include information technology; marketing, business administration and law to assist the club raise its profile and harness the immense financial resources that are in supporters hands.
“I believe as leaders we should have clear targets, which if we fail to meet should be the reason for being kicked out of office. I will use my IT abilities to create a members database and also make it easy to acquire cards while I will also put emphasis on juniors to ensure the club benefits from the players we groom,” said Mahlangu.
Bango, a headmaster at a local school and chairperson of the National Association of Primary School Heads Bulawayo Province, said he is coming in to grow and add value to the Highlanders brand and assist the club come up with strategies to fulfill the club’s mission and vision to be a world class sports institution.
“I will strive for corporate governance at the club while advocating for the introduction of a code of conduct for the generality of the staff at the club from board members, office staff and players.
“We also need to tighten the risk and loss control for our entities,” he said.
Faith Silandulo Dube said he was ready to inject fresh ideas and use his previous experience in football to make a positive impact at the club.
“While the committee member is largely a supportive role, I believe it is more than just being in charge of gates and travelling with the team. Working as a team with other executive members, I want to see Bosso reconnect with the people and I believe my experience in junior football and other developmental sides will be well utilised at Highlanders,” he said.
Moyo said he was seeking another term as he feels he managed to fulfill his duties during the last three years and will serve the club with equal vigour if retained in that position.
Ngano said he was ready to be the club’s football commissar and provide the missing link between the executive and the club’s grassroots.
“I will also lead the revival of supporters committees and spearhead a campaign to take Bosso to the people. Highlanders should be an everyday thing for its supporters and will also seek to endear more supporters to the club,” said Ngano.
Mabhena is seeking a return to the post that he held between 2009 and 2011 and this time around he intends focusing on rooting out indiscipline among the players and curbing violence and hooliganism in the stands.
