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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter 

Bulawayo based radio station Skyz Metro FM has been caught in the Highlanders elections storm after its popular presenter Babongile Sikhonjwa allegedly declared during his Saturday morning show that he would vote Kenneth Mhlophe for chairman in next month’s club elections.

After his alleged declaration of loyalty to Mhlophe, Sikhonjwa later invited Johnfat Sibanda, who is challenging Mhlophe for the Highlanders top post, for a live interview.

“We wonder if that is ethical for a presenter to do that. Having declared his position, the fellow goes on to invite us for an interview. How impartial will the interview be? We therefore believe it’s in our best interest for Sibanda to disengage with Skyz Metro because of the unprofessional conduct  of their presenter. Listeners hold the station in high regard and in return it must ensure that its personnel adhere to ethical journalistic principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and accountability,” said Sikhumbuzo Mnkandla, who is spearheading Sibanda’s campaign.

Contacted for comment Skyz Metro chief executive officer Godwin Phiri denied that Sikhonjwa went on air and declared that his vote was for Mhlophe.

He said as a station, they are and will never be aligned to any candidate.

“At no point did he declare support for anyone. There were two presenters in the studio and they agreed as part of comedy that one will be Johnfat Sibanda and the other Mhlophe and they just made banter out of it.

“Skyz Metro FM does not support any particular candidate for any position in any team. Skyz Metroe FM does not support any team and has no interest in who wins any election anywhere,” said Phiri.

However, Chronicle Sport has it on good authority that full scale investigations to verify the claims are already in progress at the station.

Meanwhile, Mnkandla said their camp does not buy the idea of the club looking for foreigners to invest in the recently acquired Inyathi gold mine.

He said they believed that within the Highlanders family there were people with financial and even expert resources  that can be approached.

“It’s a prospective money spinner (gold mine); make no mistake about that; and we really applaud everyone involved in the acquisition of that mine. We, however, don’t think it’s a good idea to annex it to the Chinese.

“We have received numerous inquiries and promises from Bosso members and supporters in the diaspora who are ready to pour money into that investment and until our own people have openly said they can’t fund operations, let’s not shut them out,” said Mnkandla.

Incumbent Highlanders chairman Mhlophe, who is seeking re-election, revealed on Sunday that talks with Chinese investors were at an advanced stage and an agreement that would see Bosso getting 60 percent of all gold sales was being drafted.