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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO giants Highlanders FC resolved during their Sunday annual general meeting to formulate a policy that will stop the club from signing players on short term contracts as well as those players managed by individuals.

In his submission for matters to be heard during any other business, former club vice-chairman Sikhanyiso Moyo raised his concern on Highlanders being used as an agent of advertising players but at the end of the day got nothing when these players signed for other clubs.

Moyo based his case on Peter “Rio” Moyo and Milton Ncube who spent two seasons and a half at Highlanders before seeking greener pastures in South Africa during last year’s mid-season transfer window.

Peter signed an initial deal with Mpumalanga Black Aces before being dumped and getting a lifeline at Witbank Spurs while Ncube made the grade at Ajax Cape Town. In both deals, Bosso got nothing from the duo’s moves with their parent club Luveve Big XI being the sole beneficiary of the deals.

Moyo said Highlanders stood to make good business just like they did with the sale of fringe players Khumbulani Banda to Maritzburg United for $65, 000 and Cleopas Dube who was sold for $30,000 to Witbank Spurs.

Banda played less than an hour for Bosso in the first half of last season but managed to realise so much for the club

The KwaZulu Natal club has already paid Bosso $45,000 and remainder is set to be paid once the player starts 20 Absa Premier League matches.

“The club must stand guard and avoid being used as a tool to market other people’s players because we have seen our team being used to develop talent and when those players move, Highlanders gets nothing for giving them the platform to shine. Remember back in the days when Rahman Kutsanzira left for Caps United the club got nothing and so was the story when Welcome Ndiweni joined Masvingo United. Just recently we had Peter Moyo and Milton Ncube moving to South Africa and it was their owners who got paid,” said Moyo.

He said it was important to ensure that for every deal involving a Bosso player the club benefits.

“Let’s avoid engaging such players owned by individuals or sign short term contracts with players coming on loan because when they leave the club gets nothing”, he said.

Moyo’s sentiments incensed Amini Soma-Phiri whose club Luveve Big XI owned Moyo and Ncube.

“I think it’s not fair to say Highlanders didn’t benefit from the said players Rio (Peter) and Milton because during their service at Bosso they gave their all and through their performance I believe more people came to stadia to watch them. They helped uplift the Highlanders brand and were top performers for two years. We had a written agreement with Highlanders over the two players and I believe everything regarding their moves was done above board,” said Soma-Phiri.

The former Highlanders midfielder said he will continue churning out stars at his Luveve Big XI and if there were players that he felt could make the grade at the Bulawayo giants he will be keen to do business with the club unless they tell him that they don’t want his products.

After some debating, Highlanders’ chairman Peter Dube noted Moyo’s concerns and assured members that they will continue negotiating to get players on permanent basis.

“It’s not easy nowadays to find a good player who doesn’t belong elsewhere but in all our negotiations we try to get players that will add value to the club on a permanent basis. We have taken note of what Moyo has raised and we will try to avoid that avenue of investing in players owned by other people,” Dube said.

Apart from acquisition of players, another issue that got members excited was the long-awaited bus that the club bought through long time benefactor Tshinga Dube.

Tshinga Dube said the club should expect delivery of the bus, a Marcopolo, this week.

He expressed his disappointment with people whom he said were electioneering using the bus issue.

“The bus issue and elections are totally divorced. Money issues don’t go hand in hand with elections. The club raised $20,000 which wasn’t enough to buy the bus. If you are looking for a team bus it has to meet certain standards and must also have a toilet and a television.

The good thing is that the bus has been paid for and the cheapest that we got was about $40,000. The treasurer must look for money to pay duty at the border sometime this week,” Tshinga Dube said.