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Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Football Association yesterday said Innocent Batsani Ncube is free to contest the Highlanders FC elections where he is among the candidates for the secretary-general’s position.Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela confirmed that Ncube wrote the player agent’s examinations but never complied with requirements.

Returning officer Luke Mnkandla said the onus was on Zifa to communicate with Highlanders through the Premier Soccer League if there was anything amiss with Ncube’s nomination.

“Ncube wrote the examinations but never sought to be registered as one of the practitioners as prescribed. He did not pay the required fees and buy a professional indemnity. So against that background he’s not barred from taking part in the Bosso elections,” said Gwesela.

Mnkandla said: “We were not aware that he wrote the said examination. If Zifa thought otherwise they would have communicated with us through the PSL. We’ve not heard anything other than what we read in the papers. He is eligible to stand as of now.”

But with Zifa’s latest position Ncube is definitely in the race.

Ncube was a relieved man yesterday after a day earlier Zifa had appeared to rule him out of the race.

Player agents or intermediaries are not allowed to run for positions within football as it compromises their roles. “I am happy that the air has been cleared. I have never been a player agent, I wrote the examinations but did not comply with requirements such as the $5,000 fee and the professional indemnity insurance fee. I passed the examinations as a matter of fact but never on any single day did I practise or masquerade as one,” said Ncube.

With Ncube in the race, he is now set to square off with educationist Njabulo Bango, city businessmen Donald Ndebele, Emmett Ndlovu and Pilate Mahlangu.

There is no clear cut favourite going into the race though Ndlovu’s familiarity with operations at the club could give him an edge. With an association with the club that spans over 23 years having begun in 1991 when he joined as club physiotherapist (medic) he rose through to the rank of club administrator during the Ernest Sibanda era.

He got initiated into the club culture and knows the weight of expectation from the hard to please Highlanders fans and members.

Ndebele like Bango, Mahlangu and Ncube could be riding on the “don’t recycle” tag. He has worked for Zimra and is a businessman in his own right whose involvement with the scouts movement has taken him around the world.

He has not been involved in any of the Highlanders factions. Ndebele says his corporate exposure is something that could see him add value to the club.

Bango is not new to sport administration. For years he has been involved with schools sport administration from provincial, national to international level. A principled administrator, he has followed Highlanders from the 1970s and believes his exposure to administration of parity as a headmaster for over 20 years and in the National Association of Primary School Heads, will be key to being a team player for the attainment of group goals.

Mahlangu is not a new comer to football business. He once owned a Division One team in Masvingo and was behind the switch to Highlanders by Douglas Zimbango. In 2009 he was the media link person for the Highlanders supporters’ committee.

With qualifications in law, marketing and computers, he hopes his exposure to industry as an employee and employer could help harness Bosso’s true brand value and usher in a new era.

But the four gentlemen’s aspirations to land a post that has been weakened by the appointment of a chief executive officer, lies in the hands of card carrying members who have hung around that status for more than two years.

They will vote tomorrow at the club’s elections that are being held a week after the annual general meeting.

Peter Dube is being retained unopposed following the disqualification of Ernest Sibanda whose candidature was found not to be of good standing by the club’s nomination court.

Dube who has not been doing club duties from last Sunday will take over his duties after the elections for the secretary-general and committee member tomorrow.

A tight race could be in the offing for the committee member’s post which has attracted four candidates.

Incumbent Charles Moyo leads the race that has Faith Silandulo Dube, Wisdom Mabhena and Cleopas Ngano.

Continuity is what Moyo could ride on. Changing of executive members every now and then in sport has been blamed for stunted growth of organisations. His other trump card is maturity.

Dube is a young administrator who has run a number of sporting organisations. He has been a Highlanders follower from the 1990s when he was at Regina Mundi through to his days at the University of Zimbabwe.

In his previous bid to land a post at Highlanders, he lost to Sikhanyiso Moyo for the vice chairman’s post in 2011. From that time he has gone on a learning curve in Division One, Zifa Bulawayo Province and founded the Benjani Mwaruwari Junior Football Festival in 2012 in a committee led by Mkhuphali Masuku and Dumaza Dube.

He enjoys a lot of support within the club’s fractured set up and could spring a surprise. In some circles he is seen to represent bubbling youth seen as the future senior leadership of the club.

Ngano has been a club marshal and is set to draw a lot of support from his peers. He tried his luck at playing for the club in the 1970s. He failed to make the grade and stuck around as a member, something that came naturally as his paternal uncle Mackenzie Sibanda, who died two years ago, is a celebrated hero at the club.

Gaining entry into the stadia for the media and other illustrious personalities in the city improved during his tenure as chief marshal.
Mabhena is a former committee member at the club. The candidate served during the Themba Ndlela era. He is familiar with what is expected of the Bosso executive.

Coming from a family that has over the decades occupied several positions at the club, his blood is black and white. He has offered himself again to be a servant of both sympathisers and members and with experience at that level he could give other candidates a good run for their money.

The biggest challenge for those to join Dube, vice chairman Mgcini Mpofu and treasurer Jerry Sibanda will be to be team players, come up with innovative ideas that will grow the club membership and brand.

Their manifestos have looked impressive but there is a huge gulf between electioneering and being an office bearer.