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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Highlanders FC annual general meeting yesterday upheld its electoral court’s decision to bar Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda from contesting the executive committee elections on Sunday.

Sibanda had challenged incumbent Peter Dube but was ruled out by the club’s electoral committee.

Sibanda, a former chairman, had in the build up to yesterday’s meeting, hoped to have his fate decided by the club’s bona fide members.

After protracted deliberations, it was agreed that the electoral court’s decision should stand and that the decision is final.

Highlanders’ board chairman’s report presented by Mgcini Nkolomi sparked debate on Sibanda’s issue with members asking for the electoral court to state the reasons for the latter’s disqualification.

Nkolomi noted that the decision to bar Sibanda had “rattled members and created so much emotion and as a result members were sharply divided on the verdict of the nomination court.”

The board chairman said the need to defend the ideals of Highlanders’ vision or mission statement was key in arriving at the decision to stop Sibanda from contesting.

Values listed in Highlanders’ mission statement are accountability, confidentiality, honesty, teamwork and transparency.

Bernard Bhebhe of Lower Gweru was first to demand an explanation on why Sibanda was disqualified and was supported by Joe Tshuma who said “we need to know the truth and the exact reasons to be disclosed as to why Maphepha had been disqualified.”

In response, board chairman Nkolomi asked for permission from Sibanda to make the report public on why his candidature was turned down, noting that it included “private things previously dealt with.”

Nkolomi then asked the returning officer Luke Mnkandla to explain circumstances leading to Sibanda’s disqualification.

Mnkandla said his electoral committee which has High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, labour expert Ndumiso Sibanda, Elkanah Dube, ex-board chairman Dumisani Sandi and board secretary Jimmy Ncube sat on Saturday soon after the close of nomination for adjudication, quashing rumours that they did not constitute a quorum.

He said it was at Saturday’s meeting that they came with the decisions for all candidates and “agreed that they will give Sibanda an opportunity to defend himself.”

“On Monday we met Sibanda and after our meeting we asked him and his agent to leave the office so that we deliberate further as the electoral committee. We highlighted to him our concerns as a committee about his candidature. A decision was later taken that he should not stand because he was not of good standing. I read to him the reasons why he was not successful to stand from notes that I had taken during our Saturday’s committee meeting,” said Mnkandla.

“His agent (Archer Ncube) then asked why he was allowed to pick up nomination forms in the first place and I told him that we didn’t know which candidates had shown interests in running for positions because we’re not the ones who give away forms as that’s the responsibility of the secretariat.”

Yesterday at the meeting Sibanda was asked to read his judgment with reasons for his disqualification to members which he declined saying: “To ask me to stand in front of members and read the judgment is putting me in an awkward position. If I was given the judgment on Monday I would’ve appealed.”

Mnkandla insisted that he read the judgment to Sibanda on Monday which the latter acknowledged.

Sibanda’s argument is that he served his sentence after being found guilty of converting Highlanders’ $25,000 to his own use from the sale of Obidiah Tarumbwa to Cercle Brugge in 2008.

He paid back the money to the club.

“I was banned from the club and from participating in any capacity in the club activities for a period of three years and after two years I appealed to the board which lifted my ban and was given back my card as a life member. Nothing was said that I’m no longer fit to hold office at Highlanders. You should’ve told me straight that I’m barred from any position and had you told me I wouldn’t have wasted my time,” said Sibanda.

A club member identified as Luke Phakathi proposed that the house upholds the electoral court’s decision which was seconded.

“The judgment was done and it’s water under the bridge. The board specified the reasons for that decision and there’s no reason for going back. What we have to do is work towards developing Highlanders. We mustn’t make ourselves a laughing stock by washing our dirty linen in public. If we agree as Highlanders members with Baba Maphepha we say ayilale ngenxeba (let bygones be bygones),” Phakathi said.

Meanwhile, Dube will on Sunday be confirmed as Highlanders chairman with Njabulo Bango, Pilate Mahlangu, Innocent Batsani Ncube, Donald Ndebele and Emmett Ndlovu contesting the secretary-general’s position while the quartet of Faith Silandulo Dube, Wisdom Mabhena, Charles “Six-One” Moyo and Cleopas Ngano are vying for the committee member’s seat.