The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS chairman Kenneth Mhlophe has shed light on the circumstances which led to him withdrawing from the trip to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations where he intended to travel with one of his sons.
Mhlophe withdrew from the trip after he was lampooned on social media for allegedly abusing his position as Highlanders chairman to get his son to benefit from the trip at the expense of bonafide club supporters. However, the Bosso chairman said he decided not to proceed to Egypt because his son, who happens to be a Highlanders life member, was distressed by the hullabaloo created on social media. He said he was paying for his son’s travel, contrary to reports on social media.
“I dropped from the trip because my child was so traumatised, my child who is a life member (of Highlanders), my child knew that my father is going to pay for me for the trip. He was so traumatised on where is it all coming from,’’ Mhlophe said.
According to Mhlophe, he was contacted by Premier Soccer League chairman Farai Jere who informed him that he needed to identify three Highlanders fans to travel to Egypt. Since there was not enough time, Mhlophe indicated that after consultations, Khetha Marizani, Mgcini Mafu and Mandla Nkala were chosen as the Highlanders fans for the journey to Egypt. He pointed out that he informed Jere that he wanted to travel with his son whom he was prepared to pay for, with the PSL chairman informing him to secure a visa for his child.
Marizani failed to make the trip to Harare to get a visa, which left Mhlophe to travel to the capital city with Mafu, Nkala and his son.
“I was prepared to pay for my son’s trip to Egypt, I went through the processes of securing the visa for him. Not even a cent of Zifa funds were used in taking my son to Harare. All I needed from Zifa was a letter for him to secure a visa from the Egyptian Embassy, nothing else. I paid for his visa, I paid for his accommodation while he was in Harare. To make things worse, my boy at 21, is a life member of Highlanders and surely I could have even chosen him but I did not, I asked for Marizani, Mandla and Mgcini because three Highlanders supporters were needed for the trip,’’ said Mhlophe.
The businessman said he has the means to send him and his son to Egypt therefore, there was no way he could try to benefit from Zifa.
“I can afford to send my child to Egypt, I can also afford to go to Egypt by myself without asking for anything from anyone. I went to Zifa to find out where I can pay for my child, I don’t know if it’s an offence to pay for your child to go to Egypt especially if he is a Highlanders supporter. I was going to pay for my child’s accommodation in Egypt as well,’’ he said.
He indicated that his child was now undergoing counselling due to the whole debacle related to the aborted Egypt trip.
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