The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS members meet this morning at the Clubhouse for the annual general meeting which is expected to be a peaceful affair with few contentious issues likely to come up.
The club had a relatively smooth year with the vision set out at the beginning of the year to reconfigure and revert to the previous system of grooming home grown talent for the senior team having worked effectively and attracted huge crowds back to Barbourfields.
Bringing Madinda Ndlovu as head coach also received a seal of approval and despite that Highlanders finished fifth on the log, the club’s followers were happy with the rebuilding exercise and are banking on improved performances this year.
Issues likely to crop up include the club’s debt which is hovering close to $1million and members will seek to get answers on what the Kenneth Mhlophe executive has done to reduce the debt. Sponsorship for this year will also be another item on the members as the club signed a one year funding deal with mobile communications company, NetOne last year, although reports indicate the deal is going to be renewed and the parties are in talks.
Members who spoke to Sunday News Sport said they are also worried about the failure to turn around the fortunes of the clubhouse, which despite improving has not reached expected levels.
“We always feel the clubhouse could contribute more to the financial side of the club and also reduce its debts to the service providers. We need to pressure them to find solutions to this challenge,” said a member who preferred to remain anonymous.
Mhlophe announced during the club’s mid-year’s meeting last year they had leased Hlabangana Lounge, which is part of the clubhouse to arts personality, radio personality Babongile Sikhonjwa from 1 August 2018 but there has not been activity at the lounge.Sikhonjwa last year indicated that there is a need to renovate the place before opening an entertainment joint.
Mhlophe will table his report, with treasurer Donald Ndebele as well as board chairman Luke Mnkandla also expected to give an account of what transpired from 2018 with members to field questions to the three.
