The Sunday News
Allan Foti, Sports Correspondent
THE Highlanders Electoral Committee has begun the verification process of nominees for the clubs’ elections that are due on 4 February and will issue a statement tomorrow regards the nominations submitted.
The Committee comprising chairperson Cosmas Sikhosana, Luke Mkandla and Jonathan Moyo met yesterday immediately after the closing of nominations.
Kenneth Mhlophe and Earnest “Maphepha” Sibanda yesterday confirmed they had filed their nomination papers to contest for the Highlanders chairmanship.
The nomination process, whose deadline was midday yesterday, saw Mhlophe and Maphepha, confirming their intention to compete for the position.
Three candidates each have entered the race for the secretary-general and committee member’s posts. Nkululeko Ndlovu, Israel Moyo and Siphatho Ncube are vying to head the secretariat while, Wisdom Mabhena, Peacot Hadebe and Samuel Sibanda want the committee member’s job.
Now the club is expected to announce the electoral curt which will in turn vet all aspiring candidates and decide on the candidates to make it to the 4 February election. After vetting by the electoral court, the club’s members will then be asked to ratify this decision at the Annual General Meeting which will be held one week before the elections. The electoral court will comprise three members of the board and another three from the board of trustees.
Until late on Friday, Mhlophe was viewed as the only candidate for the top post. However, on Friday, Maphepha confirmed what many suspected and told the world that he had picked up his nomination papers and would be contesting the elections.
The former chairman is hugely popular at the club having been a player, team manager and chairman but was slapped with a three-year suspension in 2010 for his part in missing funds from the sale of Obadiah Tarumbwa to Circle Brugge. Reports indicated that the “missing money” was in fact part of the share given to agents who facilitated the deal, but the former chairman eventually succumbed to pressure and took the fall, and had to reimburse the money. Before his suspension, Maphepha was the last chairman at the club to win the Premiership title.
In 2015, he tried to stand against Peter Dube for the chairmanship, but his bid was blocked by the electoral court, but remains a popular figure within the club.
Should the Nomination Court and the club’s members allow him to stand, he faces a man many believe to be inexperienced in football administration. Mhlophe has never held an administrative post at a football club although he claims to have had a stint with Black Rhinos during his army days. Over the years, he has been an able benefactor for the club at various intervals and is seen as a successful businessman. He has often come to the rescue of both the first team and the developments sides through his company, Nokel Security.
Meanwhile, what was expected to be a two-way battle between two academics, Ndlovu and Moyo is now a three-way race after the entry of Ncube. All three have enviable qualifications rare to football administration which suggests the race will be down to which of the three can sell their version of intellect to the grassroots at Highlanders.
The three will have to go back to the basic and address key issues such as debt and strategies that can bring the title to Bosso instead of focusing their campaigns on what their qualifications can do for the club. In as much global football village is becoming more and more academic, that gap is still miles long in Zimbabwe and this trio must shy away from the temptation to proffer their academic qualifications ahead of what they can do for the club.
Acting chairman Modern Ngwenya, who took over from suspended Peter Dube reverts to his vice-chairman’s post while secretary Emmet Ndlovu will not seek re-election. Mabhena is however, seeking re-election as a committee member. -@AllanFoti
