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Allan Foti, Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS secretary-general aspirant Nkululeko Ndlovu believes the club needs young professional leaders to help chart a new course and unyoke it from the current choking debt.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport while officially announcing his candidature for the post, Ndlovu said it was time for the club to finally elect leaders, who have both the passion and acumen to deliver Bosso from its present quagmire.

He said he was ready to take up the mantle and help Highlanders come up with a sound economic policy that will ensure the club manages its debt and returns to profitability or at least even the balance sheet.

A holder of a Masters in Business Administration and several qualifications in football administration, Ndlovu said it was time for Bosso to elect a leadership comprising business savvy individuals with the capacity to turn the club into the super-club it should be.

“I thought long and hard before making the decision to challenge for the secretary general’s post. I believe I have the right qualities to deliver and turn around my club’s fortunes,” said Ndlovu.

“With all due respect to previous and current leaders at Highlanders, I strongly believe that now is the time for leadership renewal to usher in a fresh set of leaders who have the capacity to turn the club into a business hub.

“I know a lot of candidates past and present have promised this, but by virtue of being qualified in business administration and football administration, I think I may have solutions for the problems we are currently facing,” he said.

Ndlovu said anyone elected at Highlanders must come up with a viable solution to the debt crisis as well as plans to ensure the club is not burdened by debt again in future.

“Any new leader at the club today must be able to tell the members how to manage the current debt and offer working solutions for future debt management. It is clear that the current leadership neither has a working plan nor knows how to come up with one.”

Ndlovu said the club is currently burdened by a leadership vacuum, not only created by the suspension of chairman Peter Dube, but also by the lack of foresight and knowledge from the surviving members of the executive, primarily the acting chairman and secretary-general, whose task is to steer the club in the absence of a substantive leader.

“When Peter Dube was suspended, Highlanders was left with a leadership vacuum. The executive began to appear rudderless and unable to come up with solutions or plans that work. That’s why you find that today we can’t even manage player transfers or their contracts or even human resource management,” he said.

He said the loss of former coach Erol Akbay lay solely with the executive and said announcing his departure at a press conference before advising his employers was a cry for help.

“What our former coach did was a cry for help. It is clear to me that his decision was based on underlying problems with his bosses, who either refused to entertain his concerns or were unwilling to address them,” Ndlovu said.

He also endorsed the candidature of businessman and Bosso benefactor Kenneth Mhlophe, who is vying for the chairmanship and committee member’s posts.

“I believe Mhlophe is the right person to be at the helm of any renewal at Highlanders. He is a focused businessman, who is able to relate and communicate with anyone willing to help improve Highlanders’ fortunes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mabhena also revealed that he intends to seek re-election.

“I would like to tell the members that I am still interested in staying in my current post and I am putting myself up for re-election. I feel that I have some unfinished business that I would like to see continue at Highlanders, especially with the juniors and development sides,” said Mabhena.

He believes he has done a fairly good job during his time in the Highlanders’ executive and wants to help the club out of its current doldrums. – @AllanFoti.