The Sunday News
FORMER Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu has reached an agreement with the club’s executive to part ways and is reportedly walking away with $18 000.
However, the money is only what had been on the club’s books as being owed to the Zambian coach.
Impeccable sources told Sunday News Sport yesterday that the two parties finally came to an agreement on Friday evening with Kaindu officially handing over a written resignation to the club to put an end to the speculation that has been abound in the media over his exit at the club following a 3-1 loss to ZPC Kariba in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match played in Bulawayo last weekend.
The result saw Highlanders supporters pelting Kaindu and the players with stones soon after the match.
Losing two matches in a row at a critical stage proved too much too handle for Bosso supporters who felt their eight-year wait for the title will continue for another year.
Kaindu declined to comment on whether he is still Highlanders coach or not referring this reporter to Highlanders chief executive officer, Ndumiso Gumede despite the fact that he has been telling other news outlets that he is still the club’s coach.
The Zambian coach left Bulawayo for Zambia yesterday afternoon although he refused to confirm that he is on his way to his home country but Sunday News Sport has it on good authority that he boarded private transport to the neighbouring country.
“Kaindu reached an agreement with Highlanders for them to part ways after he had verbally committed to leaving his post at the club earlier on at the beginning of the (last) week.
“He is walking away with $18 000 but that is money that is owed to him including $7 000 in signing on fees. He is also owed winning bonuses,” said a source at the club, who cannot be named as he is not allowed to speak to the media.
Kaindu is set to receive his dues next week.
Efforts to get a comment from Gumede were fruitless as he was not answering his mobile the whole day but was said to be attending a function at Inyathi High School.
Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube declined to comment on the issue saying Gumede was better placed to speak on the issue and is the designated club’s spokesman.
Another source at Highlanders had told our sister paper Chronicle that an agreement was imminent yesterday.
“I can say there’s progress because it seems there are some things which both parties agree on but it’s only a matter of time. The club asked the coach to be clear about his position whether he has really stepped down like he said at the beginning of the week or not. It was said that if he’s still in, then he should be at training and that is when he became open and informed the club that he wants to consult first and will get back to the club,” the source was quoted as saying.
The club’s executive were reportedly intent on ensuring the club does not find itself in similar circumstances when it faced litigation for terminating contracts of their former coaches that include Madinda Ndlovu, Mohamed Fathi and Philani Mabhena. Bosso sought expert legal advice in handling the latest issue as they aimed at avoiding plunging the club into similar gaffes.
“Kaindu is not angry at all about the proceedings and is handling the matter very well. All that he wants is to leave the club in a cordial manner because it’s here that he’s laid a foundation for his coaching career. Just like Highlanders, he wants the matter to be resolved in earnest so that he can also move on. It’s not like he wants to cling on to the job,” the Chronicle quoted their source saying.
Kaindu’s assistant, Mark Mathe will handle the matches in the interim.
