ZIMBABWE Saints are yet to pay the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) $6 000 for the Railstars franchise that saw them return to the Zifa Southern Region Division One League after they were demoted to Division Two last year.
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER
This emerged at a meeting held on Saturday at Zim Saints Sports Club in Queens Park East, attended by less than 50 club supporters.
A steering committee set up to map the way forward for one of the country’s oldest clubs came up with a budget of close to $60 000 for the 2014 season if they are to return to playing football.
The steering committee is made up of chairman Gibson Homela, vice-chairman Ishmael Kaguru, organising secretary Jabulani Chinyangarara, former secretary Caleb Sengu, Tendai Nyandoro and former players legend Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo and goalkeeper Zebron Magorimbo.
A budget presented to the meeting indicated, Chikwata owe Zifa $6 644 and Railstars $6 000 and the $60 000 budget included paying referees and police, ground hire, transport for home and away matches, food and refreshments, coaches’ allowances and winning bonuses and equipment that included kits, soccer balls, cones and bibs.
But the general consensus from the cash-strapped club was that the club should forget about playing football this year and re-strategise for next year following expulsion from Division One League after they failed to pay up.
Vincent Pamire, a life member at the club, who briefly attended the meeting before he walked out, said the Zimbabwe Saints family was not serious about resuscitating the club.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We are not being serious about making sure Zimbabwe Saints survive. At the moment Saints are dead. You have failed to raise $6 000. We don’t have proper structures at Zimbabwe Saints. We have to put structures in place. The steering committee should consult interested parties, that is former players, former committee members, club elders and supporters to find out what should be done next,” Pamire said.
Homela was in agreement, but the process had to be professional.
He said as a way forward, the steering committee had to come up with suggestions that for one to be a trustee of the club, one should fork out $500, $200 by the elders, $100 by life members and $50 by supporters to raise some revenue base for the club to take it off.
“We said where do we get the money? Let’s go back to the elders, trustees, life members and supporters in the hope that we would raise enough money and we can play football,” Homela said.
Former chairman Martin Mabvira said playing football this year was out of the question.
“Playing football this year is out. We have to be practical. We need to put structures to say we are starting afresh. We must not think small anymore,” Mabvira said.
Suggestions from other supporter who attended the meeting was the dissolution of the Zimbabwe Saints (Pvt) Ltd and returning the club to the community with workable structures to revive it.
Last week there were indications that Zimbabwe Saints had received a pledge of $5 000 from a Harare company, but that was not mentioned during the meeting.
