The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
MONETARY donations by Highlanders supporters have picked up pace again and as of Friday they stood at close to $2 000 which will help the financially challenged club pay the fine imposed by the Premier Soccer League over the abandoned match against Dynamos.
Highlanders treasurer Donald Ndebele said the amount raised by supporters was $1 999,66 as of last Friday. Of that $1 162 came through the EcoCash Biller Code with the rest raised from fundraising initiatives during home and away matches as well as at the Bosso clubhouse.
Ndebele had noted that the donations had slowed down after the Mandava skirmishes which saw police fire teargas when Highlanders supporters pelted an assistant referee in protest against a penalty awarded by centre man Brighton Chimene which gave FC Platinum the equalising goal.
The donations, according to Ndebele have gathered pace following the release of the disciplinary judgment from the Highlanders, Dynamos abandoned match. Highlanders were slapped with a $4 000 fine with the match, abandoned at 1-1 with 41 minutes played was awarded to Dynamos on a 3-0 score line. Highlanders announced that they will appeal both the fine and outcome of the match.
Meanwhile, Highlanders chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube has defended the decision to plead guilty to the charges brought against the club during the PSL disciplinary hearing over the abandoned match. Dube said as a club that values fairness, they could not go to the hearing and deny that their fans threw missisles onto the pitch.
“As a club you must understand that we value the founding and pillar principles of football which are fairness and integrity. Our club believes that where we have got culpability, we are honest enough to say we have a level of culpability and we take the shot on the chin for that. Everyone was there to see the missiles that were thrown and we said yes, we understand the rules of the game that we are the home team and we are in charge of fan behaviour,’’ said Dube.
He said they could not trample on the principles and values of fairness as well as honesty to win a disciplinary case. Dube said by pleading guilty to the charges brought against them, they did not then give the right to whoever was presiding over the case to pass whatever judgment they wanted.
“You must look at what we presented, the argument that we presented, you can’t look at the fact that we said we are guilty, guilty of what and what then did we say outside that. You must look at what we said in total, even the judgment says what we said, it speaks broadly to our argument, what we presented and what we presented as far as we are concerned is very logical and they also concede that it was logical,’’ Dube said.
Meanwhile, Highlanders last week appeared before yet another PSL disciplinary committee hearing over the disturbances at Mandava on 28 May. The ruling is yet to be out. — @Mdawini_29
