Zimpapers Logo

Lovemore Dube
HIGHLANDERS FC which is set to hold its annual general meeting has weathered several storms to be the organisation that prides itself with sticking to some tenets of good corporate governance.

For starters, it is the only club that has a bona fide membership roll, has an annual general meeting and submits to accounting standards by subjecting itself to external auditors of good standing.

Despite all this embraced in the early 1970s, fissures have been a permanent feature since about 2012. The annual general meetings and subsequent elections a week after, have become a thorn in the flesh, threatening to shake the existence of the known oldest club in the land.

One of the club’s former players, a goalkeeper in the 1960s and 1970s, Kainot Luphahla a competitor for a starting place with club legends Ananias Dube and Lawrence Phiri, says before, all differences were resolved after the annual general meeting.

“If there were contentious issues before the annual general meeting, after discussion, people buried the hatchet and got back to being servants of the club. There were all volunteers pushed by the desire to see the club exist and pass from one generation to the other,” said Luphahla whose father George was a trustee of the institution in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

“Bosso used to dress up at our ‘P’ Square Mzilikazi home and then travel on foot all the way to Barbourfields Stadium,” he said.

In recent years the annual general meeting and elections have become big business for Kingmakers at the expense of the club. A lot of negative energy has been used on campaigning to be in office what should ordinarily be a volunteers’ call.

Those around the candidates have done it for the genuine love of the team, others wanting their circle of friends to have an influence in the People’s Project. Other seem to eye positions and deals when their candidate has won.

Luphahla who joined the Highlanders juniors in 1966 said the club faced its biggest threat to its existence in 1963.

There was a split that saw the birth of Cobras. Bulawayo’s big three which included Matabeleland Highlanders and Northern Region were invited to form one club in the footsteps of Dynamos which came about the merger of two of the capital’s sides in 1963. This was at the height of nationalism shaping up in the country.

Some at Highlanders did not trust the intentions and felt staying in the Bulawayo African Football Association now Bulawayo Amateur Football Association was better. Nobody knew what the future held in the national multi-racial league.

But some players were adamant, they wanted national league action and stayed on with newly formed Cobras with Northern Rhodesia star John Walker Chipukula among the biggest names.

Chipukula is a goalkeeping legend, a penalty saver and a feared goalminder who few strikers dared to get close to.

Luphahla said a few players stayed on with the club. Heroes from the first split included Edward Dlamini, Edward Dzowa, Denis Phondo Bhejane, Nicodemus Sibanda later a top national league referee with Justion Sibanda the father of former Zimbabwe international Mercedes Sibanda, 303 Marume, a Witness who later played for Zimbabwe Saints and Chipukula the backbone of Cobras.

Luphahla said while a number of players were lost in 1963, the spirit of tolerance was sown as defectors among members, players and officials were soon forgiven and allowed to return as soon as people realised that that the Cobras ride was not sustainable.

Cobras played for a while in national structures, it did not last with Chipukula leaving to form City Pirates with with Justin.

“Those that defected were allowed back and fed into the structures. Tolerance of varying views has always been key at the club as a difference in opinion should bring about the best and not ill-feeling towards each other and camps,” said Luphahla who is among the club’s unsung heroes.

Luphahla was among players like Lawrence left to safeguard the Bosso Bafa franchise at the end of 1968 when the team decided to join the Rhodesia National Football League structures.

Mtshena Sidile was behind the decision to retain the Bafa slot.

“Once again there were fears that if it does not work out on the national scene the club has to return to its franchise at Bafa. We remained initially as Matabeleland High City while Bosso went to RFNL as Matabeleland Highlanders FC. Because of its long establishment and royalty significance, people did not want to lose Highlanders,” he said.

He competed for a goalkeepers’ role with Ananias and Lawrence before the former was called to the Division Two side that played in the RFNL structures for two years before promotion to the elite league.

Luphahla said those not selected for duty with the national league would either feature for High City or the reserve side or both.

Several players turned out for High City and eventually made it to legend status among them Peter Nkomo, Builder Nyaruwata, Augustine Lunga, Collen Dube, Alexander Maseko, Kelvin Maseko and Thulani Biya Ncube and Black Mambas’ Joseph Dube and former goalkeeper.

Luphahla affectionately known as Topi Kays at Bafa and Highlanders circles says football was concentrated around the Mzilikazi Youth Centre.

There was Eastern Brothers home to players like Barry Daka, Daniel Dididi Ncube, Benjie Mpofu, Jimmy Sibanda and Patson Sibanda from ‘Q’ Square run by Ben Makadzange’s father and sponsored by city businessman Mutsago, ‘P’ Square with Manicaland United ‘P’ Square run from Philemon Dangarembwa’s family home and Highlanders having the flavour of a bigger catchment area with Lawrence, Billy Sibanda, Mail Kamanga, Ananias and Nehemiah Khanye among the first club juniors.

The 69-year-old said his family home hosted club meetings and several other club rituals.

Bosso used to be presented to elders at the beginning of the year where a goat or a beast was slaughtered at the beginning of the year.

In modern times the ceremony was moved to the Club’s Hotel California.

In an interview in September 1997, one of the club’s founding fathers and players Nsele Hlabangana revealed that Highlanders had carried some customs from 1920s and were part of the club culture.

Luphahla said despite modern times setting in, it was very important for the club to maintain some of its customs one of which was unity after any storm inclusive of elections.

“We have weathered so many storms such as the 1963 split and the big one in 1976, but we always found each other and resolve to move forward,” said Luphahla a former Barclays Bank employee.

Next week’s elections will see Kenneth Mhlophe facing Johnfat Sibanda for the Highlanders chairmanship.

Their candidature has seen social media commentators and mainstream media practitioners almost splitting the club into two.