Bosso candidates in their own words

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FOUR candidates, two for each post will contest at the Highlanders elections at the Clubhouse this morning. Modern Ngwenya, the man who has been the Highlanders vice chairman since 2016 is seeking a fresh mandate from the members with Longwe Ndlovu standing in his way of a second term.

Donald Ndebele, in charge of the Highlanders since he was co-opted in June 2015 to replace Jerry Sibanda before being voted for the following year is going up against Charles Ndlovu, the man he defeated in 2016.

Sunday Life hunted down the four candidates, who will only be given one minute to market themselves to the Highlanders electorate this morning to share with the members what they will do if voted into office. Below is what each of the four candidates had to say to convince the Highlanders members who will cast their ballots this morning to vote for them.

Vice-chairman
Modern Ngwenya
I am the managing director of Virmod Electric (Pvt) Ltd – a company that specialises in electrical switchgear, automation products and installations. What brought me to Bulawayo in 2015 was a $350 000 overhead 33kv line tender we won at Arda Estates (Ingwizi and Maphisa). I finished the projects in 2017 but I am still in Bulawayo because of the club I love so much.

There is evidence of the good work we are doing as a collective. However, in the context of my position as vice chairman it’s wise to note that our positive financial position is due to our NetOne sponsorship, increase in gate takings, increased revenue from entities etc.

Even though we work as a collective, it is prudent to note that I was at the helm as acting chairman of the club when we negotiated and clinched the NetOne sponsorship. We also appointed our astute technical manager, Madinda Ndlovu, who transformed our play hence attracted bigger crowds that naturally brought in increased revenue.

I am in charge of the entities including the Clubhouse that made $170 000 in 2018 compared to $164 000 the year before. We are in an ascendency mode in all aspects as a club. The current chairman Kenneth Mhlophe has contributed immensely in unifying us as an executive with our secretariat. He (the chairman) made it possible to sign all our high profile players.

The unity and singleness of purpose in the executive is also key in me wanting a second bite of the cherry. There is absolutely no need to repair the unbroken – continuity is of paramount importance to our trajectory.

I am humbly appealing to Highlanders members to vote for me so that we don’t break a well energised “circuit”. Continuity is very key in any organisation especially when the executive is effective and efficient-Highlanders is no exception. My desire is to continue adding value to our beloved club.

Longwe Ndlovu
I am a farmer, miner and I am in the transport industry where I own buses. I have got more than 30 years in business. I am also a retired policeman. I have been with Highlanders for many, many years. In fact, since I was born, that has been my team. . I am a son of Highlanders, in my family we don’t know any other team besides Highlanders.

I have been a Highlanders life member since 1999. I have got passion for Highlanders, I want to see the Highlanders brand growing to the standards which I think it should go to. We are looking at the corporate world, helping Highlanders, this is a community team, it depends on the people, they uplift it through donations. For people to donate we must be able to show that we can do it ourselves.

I have done what I have done, I brought Talbert Shumba from when he was seven years old, brought him to the Highlanders juniors until he made it into the senior team. I took him from rural Mutare, he grew up in my house in Bulawayo. That is my passion for Highlanders. My donations, I have been doing it before, fuel I have been donating to Highlanders, whenever the team needs fuel they come to me I donate to them.

I don’t want anything from Highlanders, I want to see the team growing. I want to see people believing in Highlanders, it can grow like any other teams. The image of Highlanders must change in terms of enhancing the corporate world to come and see that Highlanders can be something which we can donate to, which we can grow through. I have my business partners who are prepared to sponsor Highlanders.

We need to increase patronage at the Highlanders clubhouse. Once we increase patronage, Highlanders will have more money, the budget deficit will go down. People will come spend more there, the place will become a leisure centre like all other clubs. We need entertainment at the clubhouse, at least every Friday and Saturday.

My message to the Highlanders members is to come in their numbers and vote for me and judge me by what I would have done. I am not promising something big but I am promising that I will deliver. I have proved that run a big institution like Highlanders because I have done it myself without any assistance. I have got a record of running those kinds of things. Most of the people who come from these areas, Esigodini, Gwanda, Filabusi know, they have seen what I have done.

Treasurer
Charles Ndlovu
Mthwakazi kaNdaba, it is with great honour and privilege to thank you for giving me this opportunity to stand again for the post of treasurer within this renowned institution. This institution has and will continue to produce great leaders through this beautiful game called soccer. I thank you and the football family for allowing me to serve you in the various positions in this club.

To those who are not privy of my background in soccer administration, I started as a cashier and then rose through the ranks to that of chief cashier. After two years away from cashiering I was roped back into the sport administration by the Premier Soccer League as a chief cashier.

This involved collecting cash for all Premier League teams in Bulawayo and paying all concerned stakeholders their dues. One of the greatest challenges was putting cash controls at Hwange’s Colliery Stadium which are in still in force today. During my tenure at PSL I held the following positions, finance committee member at Bulawayo Sports Board (under SRC) as well as at Zifa Southern region.

I am a financial advisor with one the most leading financial institutions and have been in that field for more than twenty years.

Competing in 2016 was an eye opener and a learning curve with regards to the people’s dreams. The fan groups play an integral role in both helping the club with finances, with the majority of members having the voting rights.

To all the Bosso members, I am once again hailing for your support during this year’s balloting. I am so determined to holding the position this time around. This is the year for change. Giving up is no option until the finishing line has been reached. Change is good as it brings in opportunities. To all stakeholders, corporates, individuals and the Highlanders members let’s journey together, united in soccer and fill Barbourfields Stadium in 2019 for a triumphant and victorious future.

Bayethe!
Donald Ndebele
Highlanders are a value and principles-based institution. The vision statement of the club states that it seeks “To be a dynamic world sports institution for centuries to come”. So as we submit our names for executive positions, we should be guided by what the club desires to achieve.

The treasurer’s position within the executive talks to team work, collective responsibility, team support and collective team success.

The year ended 31 December 2018 was a relatively financially successful one for us. Current liabilities were reduced by more than $62 000, revenue increased by more than $350 000 while expenses increased by $222 678. It is important to note that the ballooning debt issue has finally started to respond to initiative of halting it and in the long term extinguish it.

There is still a long way to go to solve this issue but progress has been made. This success is as a result of a collective team effort. And for this

I salute my colleagues in the executive and the secretariat. I have no doubt in my mind that more success as is expected will be achieved in the coming years. My understanding of the broad dynamics of Highlanders sets me in good standing to add even greater value to the functions of the club as a member of the executive committee. My desire to see Highlanders succeed through its short term, medium term as well as long term strategies remains undiminished. I am thus driven to seek a second term of office to this great institution.

@Mdawini_29