HIGHLANDERS Football Club will soon roll out an ambitious plan to reduce its more than $600 000 debt after the board meets the newly-elected executive committee, board chairman Mgcini Nkolomi revealed yesterday.
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The club’s debt has continued to soar year in, year out with no end in sight to the ever ballooning financial crisis, with traditional sponsors BancABC having reduced sponsorship by 43% this year.
Nkolomi said the issue of reducing debt at the club was a thorny issue and information on how the club intended to tackle the problem would be made available as coffers continue to dwindle after the financial institution reduced its budget.
“Detailed information (on debt reduction) will be made available in due course after deliberation within the board and the new executive,” Nkolomi said.
“It is a thorny issue, but the finer details will be made available after a strategic review for 2015.”
Last year, BancABC released $700 000 to Highlanders and $100 000 for player acquisition.
According to external auditors PNA Chartered Accountants, Bosso has received $400 000 from BancABC as working capital for the 2015 season.
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Congratulating incoming members of the executive committee on Sunday and without going into detail, Nkolomi said the club had made a number of positive engagements and he was hoping candidates who lost out in the elections would be co-opted into working club sub-committees.
Nkolomi declared that 2015 would be a debt reduction year.
“What we are asking from you today is to support the new team,” he said.
“You have exercised your right to vote, to choose your leaders. This is our team for 2015 going forward.
“Like I said, my wish is that these guys who were contesting, as (Luke) Mnkandla who said he heads the marketing committee, will engage them into the working committees of the club because the executive committee co-ordinates the activities of the club. As members, we want you to be involved in so many of these bright ideas that you have.
“I think going forward what I am promising you together with my board and the executive is that we are going to be more engaging this year going forward.”
He added: “I can promise you that this debt we are talking about, next year, come rain, come sunshine, will go down. I declare this because I have full trust in you. I am making this declaration or commitment on behalf of all members. We have had a lot of constructive engagements in the past weeks.”
Emmett Ndlovu was voted secretary, beating four other candidates — social entrepreneur Innocent Batsani Ncube, businessmen Donald Ndebele and Pilate Mahlangu, and National Association of Secondary School Heads chairman for Bulawayo province, Njabulo Bango.
Wisdom Mabhena beat Charles “Six-One” Moyo, Faith Silandulo Dube and Cleopas Ngano to the committee member post.
Peter Dube was retained as chairman unopposed with vice-chairperson Mgcini Sibhalo Mpofu and treasurer Jerry Sibanda’s tenures coming to the end next year.
Bosso could, however, be faced with another challenge of co-opting a member to replace Sibanda if he is recalled by the Bulawayo City Council to lead their football team BCC Golden Stars in the Zifa Southern Region Division One League.
