The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS aspiring executive chairman Kenneth Mhlophe has expressed his willingness to work with whoever the Bosso electorate decide to give him, provided those people are hard working.
Bosso will hold elections to fill the posts of chairman, secretary-general and committee member on 4 February. For the chairman’s position, Mhlophe, who lost out to acting chairman Modern Ngwenya for the vice-chairmanship in 2015 goes up against Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda, a former Bosso player, team manager as well as executive leader from 2006 to 2009.
If given the nod by the Bosso members on 4
February, Mhlophe has to work with Ngwenya and treasurer Donald Ndebele whose terms expire early next year as well as those chosen as SG and committee member.
Mhlophe has resisted the temptation to combine his campaign with that of other aspiring candidates, deciding instead to go it alone. His belief is that in Highlanders elections, candidates are chosen as individuals and not in groupings.
“I am prepared to work with anyone whom the Highlanders electorate is going to give me. Already there is a vice-chairman, there is a treasurer, I have no problem working with anyone as long as they are hard working. In Highlanders elections, we are not voted as a group, we are voted in as individuals hence there is no need of having running mates in an election,’’ Mhlophe said.
Before he declared his interest to go for the chairmanship, Sibanda had given some words of advice to Mhlophe, indicating that the businessman had laid bare his plans for Highlanders which made him vulnerable to his opponents. Mhlophe, however, pointed out that he was prepared to change strategy should the need arise.
“In Highlanders elections you should be prepared for anything, I am very much prepared. I remember someone saying I have put all my eggs in one basket, as a strategist you cannot do that, I have plenty of those eggs,’’ he said.
On the issue of the Highlanders debt, which has weighed down the club for a decade, the 62-year-old businessman said he could not blame those who have come before him. He believes that the first port of call would be to look at who the club owes and look at engaging those people.
“As a businessperson, I cannot blame those who have been there before, definitely we need a plan, like in any business if you have a debt, you have to manage it, you have to have a strategic plan of how you are going to pay your debts.
“In the first place whom do we owe at Highlanders, we have always been told that the debt is so much but who we do we owe those monies? Maybe as a first we have to visit those people because we might be saying we owe this much to whom. Maybe if they owe Nokel Security, Nokel Security is prepared to write off the debt so as a business strategy we have to revisit that,’’ Mhlophe said.
Through his business, Nokel Security, Mhlophe has advanced funds to assist the club meet some of its obligations like payment of players winning bonuses. However, if elected Bosso chairman, he has no plans to loan the club money as he knows the people who can assist Bosso.
“I am not going to put in my money from businesses but as a businessperson I know who to approach. Loaning Highlanders monies is not on my plan but I will keep on supporting Highlanders, I have been supporting Highlanders whether there have been elections or no elections I have been supporting them and I will continue supporting them, funds permitting,’’ he said.
On his lack of experience in football administration, Mhlophe said that should not be a concern as he was involved in the early days of Black Rhinos formation when he was based at Army Headquarters in Harare.
“Definitely I have never been chairman of any football club, on the formation of Black Rhinos I was on that committee for years before even Black Rhinos went into the Super League. I have been a referee in Masvingo. We now need a leader in Highlanders, somebody who can direct the ship,’’ Mhlophe said.
The next few weeks certainly promise fireworks as Mhlophe and the rest of the Highlanders executive committee hopefuls up their campaign.
