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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League board of governors will hold elections to choose a new leader following the ouster of former Caps United president Twine Phiri. The elections have been slated for March 5.Two candidates, Dynamos’ Kenny Mubaiwa and Highlanders’ Peter Dube filed their nomination papers on Monday and are now set to battle for the presidency.

Dube, in the event that he wins the election, is likely to be the shortest serving Premiership president as his football administration career is heavily dependent on what is happening at Highlanders.

Amahlolanyama are going through a transformation process that rolled into life last Sunday during the club’s annual general meeting after members unanimously agreed to embark on a constitutional review process.

This is in line with the need for the club to conform to club licensing requirements.
After the exercise, members will then be asked to endorse those changes during the club’s mid-year annual general meeting and then once that is done, members will meet again in 2017 to choose an executive committee that will have a chairman, vice chairman and three board members. This will do away with the present set up where the team has a chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, secretary general and a committee member.

In the event Dube is not re-elected chairman of Bosso board next year, he cannot continue leading the Premiership or sitting on the board of governors because the PSL constitution says only club chairpersons or presidents sit as the board of governors.

The same technicality affected Phiri.
So Dube, who was retained unopposed as the Highlanders chairman last year following the controversial disqualification of the charismatic Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda, must and should start campaigning for the Bosso chairmanship now. He must also ensure that Highlanders win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League under new Dutch coach Erol Akbay this year. Bosso members are known to be very ruthless when their team fails to win silverware but are also a generous lot if the team achieves.

I am certain that if Bosso are crowned champions at the end of the season, Dube will be unanimously ushered back into office.
The Premier Soccer League will go into another election again next, itself an expensive process, if Dube wins the March 5 election and succeeds Phiri as the president of the league.

For the former Highlanders secretary general to take over the presidency of the PSL, he now needs Highlanders members more than before because if they turn their backs on him, then surely he will lead the most decorated Zifa affiliate for just under a year. But then, half a loaf is better nothing, so says the adage.

The new president of the PSL will automatically become a Zifa executive committee member.
Dube was Phiri’s second in charge and has now decided to replace his boss and possibly continue with what has been outlined on their strategic plan.

Talking of the Highlanders revolution, I am reliably told that former players and legends who are members of the club have already decided to make sure a clause is included in the new constitution that a permanent board position be created for ex- players.

The former players want the new committee to have a representative of the former players who will be seconded by them and will sit in the committee for the duration of the term after which they can decide to retain or replace him.

Personally I don’t see anything wrong with that school of thought, it’s a good idea.
These former players have been crying out for recognition as they all can’t be coaches or managers and if they get a board seat, they will now be able to contribute towards the development of this great institution especially on technical issues. I have always asked myself about the Monday review meetings whether our executive members will really be understanding the technical terms and strategies by the coaches.

Do they ever ask technically sound questions as they interrogate the coach? Technical review meetings ought to be thorough and scholarly not necessarily emotional hence the need of a technical person on the other side of the table. Infact with resources permitting the club must have a sporting director who will interrogate the coaches during these Monday review meeting but since the club is more than half a million dollars in the red, the inclusion of an ex player in the new executive committee will help address the issue.

Depending on what the constitutional review committee will get from members, there is a high possibility that the executive committee could be made up of the chairman, his vice and four board members. The new dispensation that Highlanders is taking is part of the club licensing requirements which the club must honestly be applauded. Such a move will go a long way in improving the general administration of the club
will lure the corporate world.
Highlanders has always been known to set the pace for the rest of the clubs to follow and the 90 year old club, formed of royal blood, has again led in this process.
Like any revolution though, casualties are always there but the bigger picture must be Highlanders winning. The board of directors are likely going to make way for the new world order although some could be retained as board of trustees. Board of trustees are there to safeguard the club’s properties and culture.
On a parting shot, Highlanders members regroup at the club house tomorrow morning to elect a vice chairman and treasurer. Six candidates successfully filed their nomination papers, two for the treasurer’s post and four for the vice chairmanship.
Donald Ndebele will battle it out with Charles Ndlovu for the treasurer’s post while Nkosinathi Ncube, Morden Ngwenya and Kenneth Mhlophe contest the incumbent Vice chairman, Mgcini Sibhalo Mpofu.
There has been an interesting debate in the social media about one of the candidate, Ncube’s election manifesto that he will sell the club office to renovate the club house which is not owned by the club but is infact on a long term lease.
All said and done, the Highlanders club house is the place to be this evening and tomorrow morning.
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