Bosso hopeful of Sakunda breakthrough
HIGHLANDERS chairman Johnfat Sibanda says the club is hopeful Sakunda Holdings will renew their sponsorship with the club. The deal was up to December 31, 2023. Addressing Bosso members at the team’s annual general meeting yesterday, Sibanda said they have been having positive talks with the sponsors.
The previous three-year deal with Sakunda Holdings brought much-needed financial stability to Highlanders.
Bosso is praying Sakunda once again comes on board.
“We thank Sakunda Holdings for bankrolling the club, particularly on salaries, signing on fees, and administrative activities in the year 2023. Without their financial support, the year would have been a difficult one for the club. “The sponsorship has provided stability and value to the club as the team is now able to compete with other well-funded clubs in the league,” said Sibanda.
He says talks between the two parties have been positive.
“The club’s sponsorship agreement with Sakunda Holdings who have been bankrolling the club since September 2021 expired on the 31st of December 2023. The club has, however, been in continuous engagement with Sakunda Holdings for the renewal of the sponsorship beyond the 31st of December 2023.
“Although there has been no formal commitment by Sakunda Holdings, there are positive indications that Sakunda Holdings will continue bankrolling the club,” said Sibanda.
The parties signed a US$5 million deal three years ago where the company would finance the team’s players and staff salaries, allowances, and signing-on fees as well as administration expenses.
Meanwhile, tempers momentarily flared at yesterday’s annual meeting held at the team’s clubhouse yesterday as some Bosso paid-up members sought to block treasurer Israel Moyo from presenting unaudited financials.
Moyo laboured to make his presentation as some club members expressed their displeasure. With some club members seconding Moyo to take to the podium, it boiled down to the intervention of the club’s board members which included Luke Mnkandla, Elkanah Dube, and Peter Dube who eventually presented his report.
Some members were up on their feet, finger-pointing and speaking on top of their voices to register their displeasure.
Last year, the same meeting was eventually adjourned to a later date mainly because audited financial accounts could not be availed to members. The issue of the reporting currency was the bone of contention for the 2022 financials.
The conversion of the accounts from the local currency to the US Dollar took longer than anticipated leading to the delay.
The meeting was eventually held in May last year while the then treasurer Busani Mthombeni resigned citing personal commitments.
The board of directors in consultation with the executive committee eventually co-opted Moyo as the treasurer.
Yesterday, Mnkandla said: “The delay in the finalisation of the 2022 financial statements, the resignation of the then executive treasurer, and the coming in of the replacement treasurer coupled with the suspension of the accounting officer necessitated some remedial action to avoid a repeat of the chaotic situation involving the 2022 financial statements.
“To get around this problem, the board of directors and executive committee engaged a professional accountant to assist in the production of proper financial statements that would pass the test of external auditing.”
Mnkandla added that the internal audit and finance committee, the board of directors and the executive committee had established an internal audit and finance committee comprising club members.
“However, the said internal audit and finance committee that had been established had to be temporarily suspended to avoid duplication. The club’s external auditors PN and Chartered Accounts, resigned.
“However, after persuasion by the club, they resolved to continue. Unfortunately, after the above, the external auditors once again resigned citing challenges in getting the information they needed from the club.
“They did not get cooperation from the office and they wrote us a very big letter,” said Mnkandla. In the preamble of his financial report, Moyo said it was frustrating to note that Highlanders’ internal checks and controls were wanting.
“The system is open for everyone to do as he or she wants. Internal audit is a very important pillar. There is a need for our financials to be validated by auditors.
“We need to improve on our internal checks and controls. I don’t want to be a treasurer who reduces Bosso to a financially troubled club. We are incurring a lot of losses that even affect our junior teams,” said Moyo adding that they cannot account for US$ 8,000.
“Our standard operating procedures are not really up to stretch. Let’s have normal standards not only in finance but all over. I am not attacking the board or my fellow executive members. The way we relate makes it difficult for me or any other treasurer to operate,” thundered Moyo. He said the accounts that he presented were prepared with the information available.
“The history of it is long. I have wasted a lot of time looking for auditors. It has not been easy but we created all this mess. It’s very difficult for me to stand here with unaudited accounts,” said Moyo.
In US$ terms, in the 2023 season, Moyo reported that Bosso got a total of US$351 386 after paying stakeholders that include Sports Commission (SRC), Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), Bulawayo City Council (BCC), Premier Soccer League (PSL), match officials, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), chief cashiers, cashiers and private security among others, Highlanders remained with US$145 482. This was from the 17 home matches.
Attendance at Bosso matches accounted for 38 percent of the overall Premier Soccer League revenue with the other 17 clubs contributing 62 percent. Highlanders’ South African Rand account suggests that the club got a paltry share of R425 after meeting expenses from a total of R259 234 that they realised from 17 home matches.
ZIMBABWE Cricket T20I skipper, Sikandar Raza’s brilliant all-round performance was not enough for his International League T20 (ILT20) side Dubai Capitals as they suffered a three-wicket defeat at the hands of Gulf Giants on Saturday.
Raza top scored for Dubai Capitals as they were restricted to 132/7 in their 20 overs and went on to claim two scalps with the ball despite failing to restrict their opponents. Gulf Giants chased down the target in 18,4 overs, finishing on 133/7 in a low-scoring encounter. Coming in to bat at number six, with his team in trouble on 40/4 in 7,4 overs, Raza went on to put on a brilliant batting performance but fell three runs short of his half-century on 47 runs from 36 balls. Their second leading run-getter in the match was captain, David Warner who chipped in with 21 runs off 19 balls while Rahul Chopra made 20 runs off as many balls.
West Indies legend, Carlos Brathwaite finished with figures of 3/26 in his four overs for Gulf Giants. Defending their sub-par total, Raza went on to put up a gallant performance with the ball in hand, taking two wickets for just eight runs in his three-over spell. He took the wickets of Us-man Khan for 14 runs off 16 balls and that of Shimron Hetmyer for a two-ball duck.
Roelof Van der Merwe finished with figures of 3/27 in 3,4 overs for Dubai Capitals. Jordan Cox’s unbeaten 38 runs off 30 balls and Chris Lynn’s 37 runs from 22 balls helped Gulf Giants cross the line with only eight balls left to go in the match.
Raza’s Dubai Capital now has four points from as many matches with two victories and two defeats so far. Their opponents on Saturday, Gulf Giants also have four points with two wins and two defeats. Next up for Raza and Dubai Capitals is a clash against Sharjah Warriors today. Sharjah Warriors have Chevron’s star all-rounder Sean Williams in their books but the Zimbabwean star is yet to play.
Meanwhile, in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Chevron’s fast bowler Richard Ngarava will be in action for Sylhet Strikers in their match against Chattogram Challengers today.
Ngarava featured in their previous match on Friday which was a 52-run loss at the hands of Comilla Victorians.
Despite the defeat, it was a good outing for the 26-year-old Zimbabwean seamer who took two wickets for 25 runs in his four overs.*