The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS continue setting up supporters structures countrywide with the latest being the Victoria Falls chapter which was launched last Friday in the resort town. Former Zimbabwe Football Association Southern Region chairman Morgan “Gazza” Dube was elected unopposed as chairman. Dube also a qualified coach who led the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches’ Association in Matabeleland North as well being an ex-Zifa chairperson for the same province is deputised by Ndabenengi Sibanda while the secretary of the chapter is Bekithemba Mlotshwa, Butholezwe Mlilo is the treasurer while the committee member is Christopher Ndiweni.
Highlanders board member Elkanah Dube and club executive committee member Wisdom Mabhena officiated at the launch where 39 paid up members participated.
Chairman of the chapter Dube outlined their objectives as being to assist the Highlanders executive of the day on membership recruitment, resource mobilisation in Victoria Falls and above all talent identification. In that way he believes this will save the club from buying players considering that they do not have the funds to do so.
“We also want to forge relations with other chapters in harnessing assistance towards the development of this otherwise great institution,’’ said Dube.
The Victoria Falls chapter has been operating on an interim basis since March this year when Highlanders travelled there for a pre-season friendly match. However, Dube pointed out that they have been coming together to assist the team whenever they saw it fit without any formal structure. They have also identified and recommended players over the years such as goalkeeper Brian Ndlovu, Nkosilathi “Diego” Khumalo as well as Tarisai Rukanda.
Victoria Falls-based Highlanders supporters watch the bulk of the home encounters in Bulawayo and a small chunk of the away fixtures, mostly the big matches.
The official initiation of the Victoria Falls grouping follows the launch of other chapters namely the Johannesburg, Harare and Greater Bulawayo which have all been set up over the course of this year. Highlanders resolved at their annual general meeting held at the beginning of the year to set up formal supporters structures around the country and outside the borders of Zimbabwe to harness financial resources for the financially challenged institution whose debts keep spiralling out of control with no solution in sight.
