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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS risk litigation after failing to respond to former midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa’s demands of $7,200 in outstanding allowances and bonus.

A letter dated January 12, 2016, signed by Maphosa’s manager and broadcaster Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda gave Highlanders five days to respond to his demands, but the Bulawayo giants failed to meet the deadline.

“We’ve been instructed by Mthulisi Maphosa your ex-player/captain to demand as we hereby do full balance of outstanding signing-on fees and winning bonuses as stated below within five days of this letter. It’s quite regrettable that this matter has to reach this extent regard being that of the spirit of which the money has accrued without due recognition from your part,” reads the letter.

Maphosa says Highlanders owes him $1,000 as signing-on fees for the 2012-13 seasons, $1,200 in bonuses for 2013 and $5,000 as signing-on fees for the 2014-15 seasons.

The veteran midfielder spent the better part of last season on the sidelines through injuries and his contract with Bosso expired on December 31 and was not renewed. Maphosa was spotted training with newly promoted Premier Soccer League side Bulawayo City a fortnight ago.

It remains unclear what action Maphosa’s camp will take following Highlanders failure to respond within the stipulated five days.

“We’re still waiting for Highlanders to respond. Highlanders is our team and we don’t want to be seen to be fighting Bosso, but at the end of the day the boy needs to support his family,” said Sibanda.

Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede confirmed receipt of Maphosa’s letter and said the matter was discussed during the club’s weekly Monday meetings, although he was evasive about whether the club had responded to Maphosa or not.

However, a club source said Maphosa’s demands are likely to open old wounds, with Highlanders seeking advice from one of its long-time benefactors that bailed the player out of trouble in 2012 when he was facing attempted murder charges.

The source said the club successfully negotiated with its member to advance $6,000 to Maphosa for him to pay-off soldier Isaac Mazambane of Mpopoma suburb whom he had stabbed in the abdomen following a brawl at a social soccer match in October 2011 in the same suburb.

The charges were dropped in July 2012 after an out-of-court settlement with Mazambane, who tendered an affidavit before Bulawayo magistrate Richard Ramaboea at the Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court indicating his intention to withdraw the matter. Ramaboea granted Mazambane’s application and pronounced Maphosa a free man before plea.