The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City players, Ndodana Sibanda and Brighton Dube are not active after the club attempted to terminate their contracts in February before rescinding that decision last month.
Sibanda, whose two-year contract with Bulawayo City expires at the end of 2017, was deemed to have resigned from the club when he went to South Africa during a break in training at the beginning of the year.
While he had informed then acting head coach, Try Ncube as well as the goalkeepers trainer, Reginald Buhali that he had travelled outside the country when preparations for the season resumed, Sibanda was served with a letter stating that he had resigned.
The veteran goalkeeper then signed for Bantu Rovers where he played one match in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
He had to cut ties with Tshintsha Guluva when Amakhosi wrote to him last month informing him that they had made a mistake in terminating his deal.
Dube, who was also on a two-year contract expiring in December is understood to have been offered a three months salary to cut ties with Bulawayo City when he was deemed excess to requirements. The 31-year-old, however, refused to accept that deal. The two players then engaged lawyers who got into talks with Bulawayo City, resulting in the club withdrawing the contracts termination.
In a letter dated 7 April written by Prince Butshe Dube, a lawyer who sits on the Bulawayo City board to Samp Mulaudzi and Partners, the lawyers for the players, the club conceded that a mistake had been made in bringing to an end the players’ agreements.
“Reference is made to your letter dated 29 March wherein you raise issues pertaining to your client. We wish to respond as follows:
1. Termination — we acknowledge that an error was committed and we accordingly reinstate your client without any loss and benefits.
He should therefore report immediately for training.
2. Regarding his back pay and signing on fees as well as any other financial claims — these are still being worked on with a view to settling them,’’ reads the communication from Butshe Dube to the players’ lawyers.
Armed with those letters, the players are said to have reported for training but Mandla Mpofu, who took over as substantive head coach at Bulawayo City in March is said to have told them that he already has a full squad and therefore cannot accommodate them.
The two players declined to comment for fear of reprisals when asked to speak how they feel about the dispute.
Sources close to the two said they got paid their January salaries last week just like all Bulawayo City players. The club has a backlong when it comes to salaries.
“The players engaged lawyers when the club attempted to terminate their contracts.
“On 7 April they were told to go back to training. When they went to the club office they were informed that they can report for training.
When they reported for training, coach Mandla Mpofu said he had not been told anything, when they went again, he told them that they were disturbing his programme since he already had a full squad,’’ said a source.
Bulawayo City acting chief executive officer, McKenzie Moyo was not reachable to give the club’s position on the two players.
Club chairman, Jerry Sibanda said he does not comment on football related matters anymore while his deputy, Zenzo Moyo referred all questions to the acting CEO.
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