Bosso not pressed to hire CEO

HIGHLANDERS remain tight-lipped over their search for the club's next chief executive officer, with secretary-general Emmett Ndlovu saying they will not be pressured to reveal their plans.

It, therefore remains unclear whether Highlanders are headhunting for a CEO or will advertise for the post that fell vacant following the expiry of Ndumiso Gumede's contract in December 2016.

Ndlovu has been acting CEO since November when Zifa initially banned Gumede from all football activities before lifting the sanction last month.

Highlanders' members passed a resolution at the club's annual general meeting in January that a CEO must be appointed by the end of March.

Ndlovu said they would abide by the AGM's resolution, but could not be drawn to clarify.

"The hiring of a CEO is work in progress. Due diligence in our quest to get the right person will be done. We will not be pressured to appoint, but we are standing by the AGM's resolution," he said.

There are only two weeks left before March ends and results of that "due diligence" will be greatly anticipated by the club's followers.

Highlanders' executive has the prerogative to hire a CEO.

After identifying their preferred candidate, the executive makes a recommendation to the club's human resources committee, which comprises members of the board and executive. The human resources committee will then deal with contractual issues.

However, Chronicle Sport is reliably informed that the human resources committee has usurped the executive committee's duty of identifying a CEO as the latter is yet to identify or come up with its preferred candidate.

Highlanders' board chairman Mgcini Nkolomi reiterated that the executive is mandated to hire the CEO.

"The hiring of a CEO is the duty of the executive. I'm yet to be briefed on the progress of that process," Nkolomi said.

Former club vice-chairman Elkanah Dube has distanced himself from the post to concentrate on a private school he is heading.

Nhlanhla Bahlangene Dube, one of a few internationally qualified sport administrators in the country, has previously been tipped to lead the Bosso secretariat.

Dube did a Fifa Futuro course alongside PSL CEO Kennedy Ndebele and ex-Zifa CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze. He is also a former Highlanders' secretary-general.

Another candidate, whose name has been thrown around, is Brian Moyo, a former Highlanders' administrator and Zifa education officer.

Nkululeko Ndlovu, a Bosso member, business and development consultant and a member of the Zimbabwe Institute of Management, is also believed to be in the running for the post.

The CEO will be responsible and accountable for the day-to-day operations of the club. He or she will be expected to deliver the club's strategy and to implement decisions passed by the congress and executive.

The CEO will also be responsible for developing and implementing the club's strategic plan as well as to drive the club's businesses to profitability.

Whoever gets the job will also have to set up new and professional secretariat structures.

Good governance requires that there be separation of powers between the CEO and policy formulators, which is the board and executive, so the head of secretariat must be given room to operate and report independently.

Previously there has been friction between the CEO and the secretary-general.