Bosso bus expected in Bulawayo this week

THE much-awaited Highlanders Football Club bus that was bought by the club through benefactor Tshinga Dube is expected in Bulawayo this week.

The bus was bought for $40 000 with Dube chipping in with $20 000 while the club contributed the same amount.

Dube yesterday confirmed during the club's annual general meeting that the bus had been purchased.

"The club raised some money $20 000, towards purchasing of the bus. It wasn't going to be enough to buy the bus. If you are looking for a team bus it has to meet certain standards and also have a toilet, a television and pass the Automobile Association (AA) Standard test. You can't use a defective bus.

"We have got the bus and it has been paid for. The cheapest we could get was about $40 000. I hope there won't be much money to be paid at the border. I don't think it will be more than $10 000.

We are hoping to send people to go and collect it at the border  this week. It is a Marcopolo, a very strong bus. We are very proud of our bus because it has an AA certificate.

"Our problem is we mix things. There was now a mixture of the bus and the elections. Those two don't go hand in hand. The issue of the bus is different from elections. Money issues don't go hand in hand with elections," he said.

Dube said the club needs to find ways of generating income.

"We spoke about Manwele Bar so that it could be our cash cow. I gave you the money. I don't know how far we have gone because it is expected to bring revenue to the club. Is it bringing money to the club? When I gave you that money I was thinking that it would be a start. We could end up with four bars.

"The problem is we are employing inexperienced people. What I ask for is for us to  find someone who has knowledge of operating bars. Then we would tell him that you are supposed to make $8 000 a month then the rest would be up to him.  It would give him initiative and incentive," he said.

He added that it is important to follow up on those who had assisted or pledged to assist the team.

"Our major problem is we don't know how to treat people who have money. One is a billionaire Maponya (Phatudi). He is a South African billionaire not a millionaire. I brought him and introduced him to the club and he showed interest in the club. He gave us $10 000 which is pocket money to him. We could have sent a delegation to say thank you so that we could pamper him. Maybe he could have given us $100 000. I brought Obert Mpofu. He has money. We spoke about money and he left. During the late Adam Ndlovu's burial Mpofu, said Highlanders would not die when he around. Did we follow up?" Dube asked.