HIGHLANDERS have this year called for an extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM) to precede the annual general meeting (AGM), with constitutional amendments being the main subject to be discussed on the day.
The EGM will be held today at the Highlanders Sports Club before the AGM, which will be held on January 26 with club executive elections for vice-chairman and treasurer on February 2.
The current vice-chairman is Fiso Siziba while the treasurer is former club secretary Israel Moyo, who was co-opted after Busani Mthombeni resigned.
The chairman Kenneth Mhlophe, secretary Morgen Dube and committee member Kindman Ndlovu were elected last year as per the club constitution.
The call for the EGM could be viewed as a manifestation of a crisis at the club, which last won the league title in 2006 amid the emergence of new and vibrant clubs characterised by big financial muscles.
However, the constitutional review matter has gone on for a long time with the appointment of a committee, which came with a draft, which was nevertheless rejected.
Club members, who spoke to Standardsport during the week concurred that what needs to be revisited in the constitution was the role of the board and the executive committee, which they claim presents a clash between the two centres of power at the club.
The members also called for the club elections to be held concurrently.
Faith Silandulo Dube, who at one time wanted to be club secretary, shared his views.
“One key constitutional review should be focused on strengthening the administration of the club and rationalisation of the various centres of power. Having a chief executive officer (CEO) who reports to an elected executive and quasi-executive board is a bit absurd. The CEO should be given reasonable powers to run the club and be answerable to a governing board that in turn answers to the owners of the club — the members,” Dube said.
Another Bosso life member, popular broadcaster Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda echoed Dube’s sentiments.
“The role of board and executive; one has to be removed. It's either we have an elected board or elected executive committee. Also the elections of the executive committee should be held for all five positions at the same time. They were separated some years back citing continuity back then because we didn't have a CEO. Also AGMs should be held at the end of the season for new executives to prepare for the following season, not the outgoing executive preparing a team for the incoming executive,” Sibanda said.
Brian Moyo took over the CEO’s position after the death of Sihlangu Dlodlo.
Allan “Ripper” Mpofu, an outspoken Highlanders’ life member had this to say: “You cannot call Highlanders members to an EGM and then after that meeting you call them to an AGM and after that there is another meeting. You cannot call Highlanders meetings for three consecutive weeks at clubhouse. I get hurt, it pains me. Are you expecting the Victoria Falls Chapter guys to travel in consecutive three weeks; the Harare chapter? Have they seriously thought of the chapters? This EGM that is being called for constitutional review, we had an EGM last year, and they said they would call us. Surely they should have called us maybe three months after the July meeting or taken advantage of the holidays. For me it’s a bit off.”
The Highlanders board is led by Luke Mnkandla.
