The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City Football Club chairman Jerry Sibanda has provided clarity on why he voted in last Sunday’s Highlanders elections to choose three executive committee members.
Sibanda was one of the 304 Highlanders members who cast their ballots last Sunday to elect a chairman, secretary and committee member. The participation of Sibanda and his deputy at Amakhosi, Zenzo Moyo had campaigners for some of the candidates asking how the Bulawayo City FC crew could vote in Bosso’s elections.
Article 4.4 of the Highlanders constitution reads “A member of the club shall not be at liberty to join another Premier League Club and shall automatically lose his or her membership should he or she become a card-carrying member of another Premier League Club.”
Sibanda hit back at those raising the issue of his participation in Highlanders elections and stated that at Bulawayo City, it was part of his duties as a Bulawayo City Council employee while he remains a Highlanders life member. “I am a life member of Highlanders, at Bulawayo City I am at work, I am appointed, I can be fired anytime but at Highlanders my membership is for life.
I never received a letter from Highlanders that my life membership has been taken away. I never resigned from Highlanders, there was a request for me to step down as treasurer of Highlanders and members resolved that I be released. At that time Bulawayo City were in Division One.’’
Others with positions at Amakhosi who voted in the Highlanders elections are Bhekumuzi Dlodlo (committee member), Ali “Baba” Dube (juniors coach) and former Highlanders chairman Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda (board member). Bulawayo Mayor, Solomon Mguni, who is the Bulawayo City patron and his deputy, Mlandu Ncube are Highlanders card carrying members.
Sibanda was in 2015 forced to relinquish his position as Highlanders treasurer when his employers requested that he assumes the position of Bulawayo City chairman. At that time, Amakhosi were in Division One and they earned promotion that year after winning the Southern Region Division One League.
Ndumiso Gumede, who was the Highlanders chief executive officer at the time when Sibanda left for City said the former Bosso striker remained available to his former club. “While he goes away, he remains accessible to the club and as such we wish him the best in his new position. We also wish Sibanda and his team a quick promotion into the Premiership,’’ Gumede was quoted in our sister paper Chronicle. -@Mdawini_29
