Turmoil rocks Dembare supporters

DIVISIONS have emerged in the Bulawayo Dynamos supporters' ranks with a faction accusing the incumbent city body of having been voted into office illegally.

Dumisani Mutorera was on 23 June voted chairman of the Bulawayo Dynamos Supporters Association Chapter. The elections were, however, boycotted by a group led by Virimai Chiminya, Nicholas Mapanzure, Sunungurayi Bhiza and Brice Mushonga.

Mutorera yesterday dismissed the challenge of the four saying his body was the legitimate one. He said the protesting group had overstayed in office resulting in members being restless until they decided to vote in a new committee.

"We are legitimate, we have our own constitution and we stand guided by the national association led by Philemon Bonde, so those guys cannot claim to have been left out.

"We held elections and they chose not to come after they had said we would not use their constitution. We are going ahead with activities we are a transparent administration pushing the cause of the club here and we travelling to the club's games," said Mutorera yesterday evening.

Mapanzure and Chiminya sit in the national executive despite once holding positions in Bulawayo  Both claimed Mutorera's faction was just a group of travellers who are fond of going to the club's matches.

They said the elections which should have been supervised by the national executive in accordance with provisions of their constitution which was in use and is the legitimate document for Bulawayo, were just a farce.

"It took us two years to be recognised by Harare. At a time when relations are now okay and we just needed more work on a national drive to recruit members and form substantive structures, we are surprised that some of our colleagues went for glory and disregarded the constitution," said Mapanzure.

Clause 5.8 (Responsibilities of a Chapter Committee) reads;
1.The Chapter Committee will do all in its power to further the purpose and promote the business of the Association.

2. The Chapter Committee will seek to extend membership and bring the benefits of membership of the Association to all suitably qualified people. All such elections shall be supervised by the Patron in the case of the National Executive and National President in the case of Chapter Committee members, who shall bring the matter to the attention of the National Executive for a final decision".

Chiminya said the constitution was violated as no national executive supervised the election, an assertion that was confirmed by national president Philemon Bonde.

In an interview yesterday Bonde confirmed elections had been held using the national supporters chapter constitution. He said he did not manage to come for the elections but that they had recognised the elections despite the use of an irrelevant constitution.

"Elections were held according to the national constitution, we hear one faction is not happy.

"I could not be there but I phoned from Gweru to say elections must go ahead, that is the executive in place," said Bonde.

He could not explain why a different constitution from the chapter's was used.

Mapanzure said theirs was a fight for natural justice not that they did not want to relinquish the Bulawayo Chapter positions.

"As a chapter we want to see right things done, we want to see the constitution which is our guiding document followed to the letter, which is a legacy we want to set and encourage such conduct within the Dynamos family," said Mapanzure.

He said as a national executive member, either him or Bonde should have overseen the meeting to ensure it was a legitimate gathering.