The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS players as well as coaches whose salaries are paid through the NetOne sponsorship are yet to receive their dues for April amid reports that the mobile network operator will stop its liason with the club at the end of July.
According to a reliable source, NetOne notified Highlanders that they were terminating the agreement by means of a three months’ notice.
Besides Highlanders, NetOne sponsor Caps United and Black Rhinos.
NetOne have since 2018 been bankrolling the salaries of the players as well as coaches at Highlanders and Caps United. The mobile network operator gave incentives to the two clubs to strive for excellence and also providing them with kits.
“NetOne are terminating the sponsorship now, they have given Highlanders a three months’ notice of termination according to the contract,’’ the source said.
Highlanders players as well as coaches whose salaries come from the NetOne sponsorship package have not yet been paid for April. They last got remuneration for March. It is said that they were promised that their salaries were coming last week but nothing has come yet.
“Highlanders players and coaches are yet to receive their salaries, things are not looking good. They were promised that the salaries were coming midweek but nothing came,’’ said another source.
Ronald Moyo, the Highlanders media and communications officer referred all questions to NetOne spokesperson Eldrette Shereni who had not responded to questions from this publication at the time of going to print.
Last year, Highlanders received a total of $2 201 172 from their NetOne sponsorship and a further $234 316 from Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance.
NetOne and Highlanders first entered into a one-year deal in 2018 before the two parties signed a three-year contract last year.
NetOne have shifted their attention to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. NetOne recently collaborated with TelOne in the fight against Covid-19 with a joint contribution of $10 million to fund immediate and medium term needs such as personal protective equipment, drilling and installation of boreholes, medical equipment as well as adoption and refurbishment of hospital wards.
