‘I WAS DRIBBLED BY GAZZA’
Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT was supposed to be a defining day for the Highlanders family, a moment when the truth would be laid bare and the club chart a fresh course. Instead, Sunday’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) collapsed into bitter disappointment as a much-anticipated motion of no-confidence against chairman Kenneth Mhlophe was mysteriously buried, leaving members feeling betrayed.
A total of 138 paid-up members turned up for the crunch gathering, eager to debate finances, governance and leadership. With whispers of financial irregularities and poor results on the pitch, anticipation was sky-high. The spotlight was firmly on Pilate Mahlangu, who had formally lodged a notice to move a vote of no confidence in Mhlophe. But when the moment came, nothing happened.
“I did not develop cold feet. I was dribbled by Modern ‘Gazza’ Dube,” fumed Mahlangu after the meeting. “My motion was not read and when I asked Gazza, he said the email of no confidence that I forwarded to the club’s admin was not forwarded to him, so it could not be read in the meeting. In actual fact I had required the chairman to answer the points which I had raised.”
Members had packed the meeting expecting fireworks, only to watch in disbelief as the motion never surfaced. “Depending on the chairman’s report, I was going to or not move my motion of no-confidence. I would say Gazza dribbled past me as I sent the notice on the club email. I did not raise the issue in the EGM, as I was solely asking for the chairman to step down because he is the head of the institution and the motion was not read in the Any Other Business of the club meeting. I’m a principled guy. I did move that motion alone but there are some Highlanders politicians who wanted to take over for personal reasons,” argued Mahlangu.
He insisted he had not abandoned his cause. “I did not move a motion of no-confidence on the chairman. I put on a show cause notice why I should not, which meant he had to answer my highlighted issues at the meeting. Then from the answers, I would decide if I should move the motion.”
Repeated efforts to get comment from Dube were fruitless as his phone went unanswered. What many expected to be the turning point in Bosso politics fizzled out, leaving the meeting flat and unresolved.
The day that was supposed to shape Bosso’s future ended with Mhlophe and treasurer Nkani Khoza giving reports, but the elephant in the room remained untouched.
“I’m worried about people who don’t respect their own statutes. We have an amended constitution,” blasted Omega Sibanda, a former Zifa vice president and ex-Bosso committee member. “We don’t follow the amended constitution. This executive was supposed to come to us, we ratify them to operate through the old constitution. It’s a case of policy issues. They were elected using the constitution. There is no policy at Highlanders. As far back as the early 90s statutes are needed.”
Bosso members recently amended the constitution to comply with Fifa Club Licensing rules under Article 26. Submissions were received at the club offices on Robert Mugabe Way or via the official email.
What promised to be a day of reckoning instead left Bosso members with more questions than answers.
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