The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
A SUNDAY NEWS headline five years ago ahead of the clash between Highlanders and Dynamos in July 2015 inspired Nodumo Nyathi (pictured ) to seek ways to clear the Bosso debt.
“DIASPORA INTERVENTION? . . . as Bosso, DeMbare clash in colossal battle,’’ was the Sunday News headline for the fixture between the most followed teams in Zimbabwe. A huge contingent of Highlanders supporters based outside the country had travelled home in their numbers to back their team as Bosso sought to finally end years of failing to beat Dynamos in a league match.
Nyathi and his wife were some of the members of the Highlanders South Africa Supporters chapter that descended on Bulawayo to witness the epic battle which ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Barbourfields Stadium. Others based in Mzansi who made it to that fixture were Alice Mhlanga, Owen Ndlovu, Abel Khumalo, Smanga Ntini and Chris Zulu.
The headline stimulated Nyathi so much that he has kept a hard copy of the newspaper till this day. It inspired him to find ways of clearing the Highlanders arrears, which have been ballooning over the years. Nyathi in 2018, in his capacity as the South Africa Chapter chairman came up with an idea to extinguish the Highlanders debt through an ambitious crowd funding exercise which sought to raise R30 million for the club. When that plan did not work out, Nyathi did not give up and this year he gave it a go again, with some minor tweaks. This time around, fellow Highlanders supports dotted around the globe responded in a resounding manner.
“I have always been inspired and even that headline I kept it that we can still do more . . . we have been helping iqembu (team) for a long time and I am glad now united as Bosso sons and daughters all over the world we have raised enough to clear the debt,’’ Nyathi said.
Last month, ZWL$400 000 was made available from the initiative to pay off part of the Highlanders obligations and the club could be free of debt in the next few days. Nyathi has saluted fellow Highlanders supporters all over the world for playing their part in wiping out the arrears.
@Mdawini_29
