Bosso hike membership fees

HIGHLANDERS FC have increased their membership fees, a move meant to improve the dub's financial position.

The Bosso leadership invoked Article Four of the dub's constitution which states that the subscription fee will be determined by the executive committee from time to time.

The membership fee for an ordinary card has been raised from $30 to $50 with life members set to fork out $300 up from $80.

Life membership card holders will also be expected to pay $100 renewal fee per year starting from lids year to 2017.

Peter Dube, the Highlanders chairman said the dub has also introduced an official supporters' card which is being sold for $10.

"The dub needs to survive and the first door that we are knocking at is that of its members and supporters. A recommendation was made at the annual general meeting that we embark on a vigorous recruitment of members hence the introduction of official supporters' card. What we are simply saying is that let those people who come to the stadium to rally behind the team take pride in being part of Highlanders," said Dube.

The Bosso chairman is hopeful that whatever amount is raised from members will go a long way in addressing their day-to-day operations.

He said they are also in the process of resuscitating supporters' chapters.

As part of reaching out to supporters, Dube revealed that the Highlanders leadership would soon be going to South Africa to meet club followers based in that country.

Highlanders are in the red, sitting on a $500,000 debt which is still ballooning.

As part of austerity measures, Bosso cut salaries on re-engaged staff - players and administration personnel.

Because they couldn't afford to pay lucrative signing-on fees, Highlanders failed to retain some of the players they needed like Charles Sibanda who eventually joined How Mine.

Highlanders are also facing litigation involving former players seeking outstanding allowances.

Dube said members should be aware that the signing-on fees provided by BancABC last year were paid to the players who were engaged in that period and didn't cover outstanding deals from past seasons.

"Everything is accounted for. We had audited finances and please note that our sponsors BancABC paid sign-on fees directly to the players' accounts. No money intended for sign-on fees went through the dub's account And for the record, it was $80,000 and not $100,000 as reported by the media."

Highlanders owe Dumisani Fazo Ndlovu $8,500, Atlast Musasa $1,500 and unknown amounts to Heritein Masuku and Bruce Tshuma among other players.

They lost a $10,000 case to Masimba Mambare.

Besides raising money to settle players' outstanding cases, the Bulawayo giants need to raise at least $27,000 to pay duty for a bus that they imported from South Africa.

Highlanders' board chairman Mgcini Nkolomi challenged supporters and members to support the membership fee cause and raise money to help the dub.

"This is the time to understand the meaning of being owners of the dub. What the leadership is simply doing is taking the dub back to its owners. Highlanders is J powerful brand and it's high time we start working on the game of numbers as we reach out to supporters so that they participate meaningfully to the survival of the dub," said Nkolomi.