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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS chairman Johnfat Sibanda has issued a public apology in a bid to appease members, benefactors and strategic partners that may have been hurt by his pre and post-Bosso election sentiments.

In his victory and acceptance speech after pipping the then-incumbent Kenneth Mhlophe by five votes in March, Sibanda said Bosso had been freed from capture and returned to its rightful owners.

This statement reportedly offended some club members and benefactors, who reportedly decided to refrain from assisting the club, which has been going through financial difficulties since the onset of the Covid-19 national lockdown that forced the suspension of football last year.

Although the ban was temporarily lifted this year to allow the Chibuku Super Cup to go ahead, matches were played in empty stadia until the ban was enforced again when Covid-19 cases began to soar.

Players embarked on industrial action last month and staged a sit-in last week demanding a salary adjustment and payment of signing-on fees.

The players wrote to the club’s board seeking intervention, resulting in a joint board and executive committee meeting at the weekend to try and address Bosso’s problems.

Sibanda’s apology yesterday comes five days after that joint meeting.

“It has come to my attention that during the heat of the election and immediately thereafter, there are statements that I made, which did not go down well with a section of some of our members. I hereby sincerely apologise to all of our members that were offended by my statements,” wrote Sibanda.

“I wish to categorically state that my wish is to see a united Bosso family working together as one for the benefit of our club. I hope this apology will be received well by all those that were offended by my statements. At Highlanders we are ONE.”

Highlanders sources said since the club doesn’t have sponsorship, the board and executive committee are of the opinion that Sibanda’s apology will ease tensions and assist the club through this turbulent period.

The sources also said Sibanda had offered to resign at Saturday’s meeting if members felt he was the obstacle to Bosso’s efforts to unlock funding.

“The apology the chairman has issued was part of the resolutions made towards making peace with those who were offended when he said Bosso had been freed from captivity. The chairman didn’t just submit to issuing an apology but had even offered to resign for the good of the club,” said the source.

Sibanda has on numerous occasions called on the club’s followers to put the election season behind them and move forward as one united family.

He said differences must never be allowed to creep into Bosso and said he was quite disappointed that the club was nearly torn into two largely by faceless characters who abused social media. – @ZililoR