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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders has always been hailed for its openness and above board actions on the way it handles its affairs, a club legend has said.

Midfield magician Johannes Tshisa Ngodzo says transparency has over the years been the club’s DNA, but events soon after the ‘clearance’ of the club’s legacy debt last year left many a former employee disturbed and disappointed.

Ngodzo said it was unfair for the club to triumphantly claim it cleared all the debts especially what it owed former players when all they did was to take advantage of the Government’s monetary policy that saw the official exchange rate between the Zimbabwean dollar and the United State greenback being pegged at 1:1.

“It’s making fun of us to see Highlanders telling the world that they made history by clearing the legacy debt. They were only lucky to have been in office when that decision to have a fixed exchange rate was taken. Surely you can’t go to party and say you cleared what you owed when we were paid $500 instead of US$500 which is what I was owed from our trip to Sudan in the Confederation Cup,” said Ngodzo.

He said some of his colleagues like Richard Choruma died bitter because of such ‘reckless’ statements.

“Let them own up and tell the truth, ababhadalanga lutho, all they did was to take advantage of that decision by the Government. Out of our love for Highlanders  we allowed those peanuts to be deposited into our accounts not because we wanted to. We could have flatly refused and can you imagine what the situation could be now?

“All I am saying is this self-praising talk that we cleared debts must stop, it was at people’s benevolence. I however want to acknowledge the efforts of those members and fans who came up with the fundraising idea,” said the 2002 Soccer Star of the Year runner up.