Bosso membership cards scandal

ALLEGATIONS of voter's roll manipulation have surfaced at Highlanders ahead of next month's elections, with at least 16 members facing the possibility of not casting their ballot after receiving "cooked up" cards.

Bosso are set to hold elections for vice-chairman and treasurer on February 6.

South Africa-based Bosso members, who bought life membership cards on January 24, 2020, were shocked to receive cards indicating that they are ineligible to vote as the database shows that they became bonafide members in April last year.

According to the aggrieved members, they paid their life membership fees in January 2020 and when they wanted to pay the joining fees, the club asked them to instead buy equipment for the team using the funds.

Communication was sent to members from the club through their South African Chapter.

Bosso asked the South African Chapter to buy 3x3kg medicine balls, 12 slalom poles and five sets of 10 training bibs using the members' subscriptions.

When members asked for their cards, they were told that the printer had broken down. Production of cards only resumed late last year, with the club clearing the backlog.

According to sources, the issue of membership cards was discussed at length at the club's joint executive and board meeting on Wesnesday.

Aggrieved members felt that the "mistake" is deliberate and is meant to deny them a chance to cast their vote.

"It's funny that we paid our life membership joining fees on 24 January 2020 and we understood that the printing machine was down and when it was fixed, the cards came out with an April 2021 date.

We were denied voting rights in last year's elections for the chairman, secretary and committee member when they said our membership was under a year when in fact we were supposed to participate.

Now they want to do the same and we feel this is deliberate.

So, the question is, does someone within the club want us only for our contributions and block us from participating in other activities? This matter should be resolved quickly," said the source.

Another members said: "When we helped the club in early 2020, we did it not because we wanted to vote, but because it was what was agreed with the executive.

What we want is for this matter to be resolved."

Another member said the culture of rigging elections in favour of a particular candidate must stop.

"We saw it in the last elections and now it's manifesting itself.

May someone explain to us what really is happening.

The Beitbridge Chapter faced a problem with membership cards to a point that some members lost confidence in the Chapter leadership and the office staff.

This can't go unchallenged," said the member.

Highlanders' acting chief executive officer and spokesperson Ronald Moyo said: "The matter is still being dealt with internally and will advise the outcome in due course."