News / National
Dembare legends gang up against Marriot
12 Mar 2022 at 07:33hrs | Views
FORMER Dynamos players have vowed to take on the current chairman of the board Bernard Marriot head-on as they meet in Harare today to deliberate on the structures that the club should take.
Apparently, the disgruntled former players want to reconstitute the board of trustees as they feel the club is being run unconstitutionally and also to bring Marriot to account, in the long-running ownership wrangles.
The main items on the agenda will include discussion around the validity of the tenure of the current board of trustees and the election of a new one, in accordance with the club's founding principles.
The outcome of this meeting is likely to have an impact on the current set up at the Glamour Boys, where Marriot is the chairman of the board and has allegedly claimed control of the club with a 51 percent share ownership, through a company registered as Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd.
The club's former players, who last held their meeting in December 2016, form the Electoral College, which is the club's supreme decision-making body. The Electoral College is also responsible for election of the board of trustees.
A number of yesteryear Dynamos players confirmed to The Saturday Herald that they will attend the meeting. Former DeMbare player and coach July Sharara said the meeting was long overdue.
"The meeting of the Electoral College will help sort out the club's structures. According to the constitution, the board of directors should have a three-year tenure. Then there should be an executive committee that is answerable to the board.
"The board directs the policy affairs of the club and it draws its powers from the Electoral College. The executive will focus on the day-to-day running of the club while the board are the overseers. That way the team will be run smoothly.
"The constitution is clear. It says when the founder members are no longer there then those that played after them will step in, in accordance to their seniority. That's the criteria. Marriot should not have done all that he has done, which borders on criminality.
"Mark my word, once all this is sorted out and the constitutional administration is back in the tracks, this team will be successful. I am sure it will go far because all the former players and legends are ready to work for this club.
"Dynamos is a big brand and there are people and companies out there that are ready to partner this big institution but they cannot just come and pour in their money when the structures are not clear," said Sharara.
Dynamos was formed in 1963 as a community football club. Over the years, the club has based most of its functions on the constitution drawn up by the founding fathers in 1963.
The Electoral College is the football parliament of the club and is described as "comprising of the founder members and former players who joined the club within the first years of its existence."
The Electoral College should consist of a fixed and agreed number of former players with indubitable credentials.
More former players would be incorporated into the structures in order of seniority to maintain perpetuity of leadership. However, the control of the club has been in dispute for years, following the death of most of the founding members.
The DeMbare members have queried how Marriot came to acquire the 51 percent shareholding of the club and have taken the matter to court.
Dynamos legend Ernest Kamba said it was important that the club returned to their founding constitution, which is the only recognized legal document directing the club's affairs.
"This is not the first time that we are meeting as Dynamos family. This meeting is a follow up to similar meetings held in 2008 and 2016.
"If you look at the constitution, it says every single founder member and former player selected in the Electoral College, must get one share, with the rest being sold on the stock market.
"Marriot is also entitled to that one percent but how he came to claim 51 percent is beyond everyone's comprehension.
"The constitution clearly states that the club should maintain continuity in the event of death or resignation of some of the members of the Electoral College.
"It's in black and white that the club belongs to founding members and former players, which makes it all the more important for elections to be held.
"But this constitutional process was suppressed because of political interference. The people with political muscle then disrupted the whole process and put in place people they wanted on the board.
"A lot of violence was unleashed and many former players were forced to back off. But we have to bring back the order and put a stop to criminality," said Kamba.
The Marriot board was forced to issue a statement dismissing the indaba. The board's secretary Fungai Nyamayaro said the Electoral College was no longer in existence.
"It has come to the attention of Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd, the owner of Dynamos Football Club that certain individuals whose identities have not been disclosed are convening a meeting under the guise of the long-defunct electoral college of Dynamos Football Club on 12 March 2022.
"Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd and indeed, Dynamos Football Club wish to distance themselves from the aforesaid meeting and hereby place on record the fact that the meeting has nothing to do with the legitimate affairs of Dynamos Football Club.
"The individuals who are behind the meeting, which has been purportedly attributed to Dynamos Football club are neither members of Dynamos Football Club nor Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd.
"Meanwhile, both Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd and Dynamos Football Club note with concern the abuse of its logo, which is a registered trademark, and therefore its intellectual property, by the aforesaid individuals in clear violation of the Trade Marks Act.
"Appropriate legal action is being undertaken under the Criminal Laws of Zimbabwe to prevent any future abuse of that registered trademark," wrote Nyamayaro.
Apparently, the disgruntled former players want to reconstitute the board of trustees as they feel the club is being run unconstitutionally and also to bring Marriot to account, in the long-running ownership wrangles.
The main items on the agenda will include discussion around the validity of the tenure of the current board of trustees and the election of a new one, in accordance with the club's founding principles.
The outcome of this meeting is likely to have an impact on the current set up at the Glamour Boys, where Marriot is the chairman of the board and has allegedly claimed control of the club with a 51 percent share ownership, through a company registered as Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd.
The club's former players, who last held their meeting in December 2016, form the Electoral College, which is the club's supreme decision-making body. The Electoral College is also responsible for election of the board of trustees.
A number of yesteryear Dynamos players confirmed to The Saturday Herald that they will attend the meeting. Former DeMbare player and coach July Sharara said the meeting was long overdue.
"The meeting of the Electoral College will help sort out the club's structures. According to the constitution, the board of directors should have a three-year tenure. Then there should be an executive committee that is answerable to the board.
"The board directs the policy affairs of the club and it draws its powers from the Electoral College. The executive will focus on the day-to-day running of the club while the board are the overseers. That way the team will be run smoothly.
"The constitution is clear. It says when the founder members are no longer there then those that played after them will step in, in accordance to their seniority. That's the criteria. Marriot should not have done all that he has done, which borders on criminality.
"Mark my word, once all this is sorted out and the constitutional administration is back in the tracks, this team will be successful. I am sure it will go far because all the former players and legends are ready to work for this club.
"Dynamos is a big brand and there are people and companies out there that are ready to partner this big institution but they cannot just come and pour in their money when the structures are not clear," said Sharara.
Dynamos was formed in 1963 as a community football club. Over the years, the club has based most of its functions on the constitution drawn up by the founding fathers in 1963.
The Electoral College is the football parliament of the club and is described as "comprising of the founder members and former players who joined the club within the first years of its existence."
The Electoral College should consist of a fixed and agreed number of former players with indubitable credentials.
More former players would be incorporated into the structures in order of seniority to maintain perpetuity of leadership. However, the control of the club has been in dispute for years, following the death of most of the founding members.
The DeMbare members have queried how Marriot came to acquire the 51 percent shareholding of the club and have taken the matter to court.
Dynamos legend Ernest Kamba said it was important that the club returned to their founding constitution, which is the only recognized legal document directing the club's affairs.
"This is not the first time that we are meeting as Dynamos family. This meeting is a follow up to similar meetings held in 2008 and 2016.
"If you look at the constitution, it says every single founder member and former player selected in the Electoral College, must get one share, with the rest being sold on the stock market.
"Marriot is also entitled to that one percent but how he came to claim 51 percent is beyond everyone's comprehension.
"The constitution clearly states that the club should maintain continuity in the event of death or resignation of some of the members of the Electoral College.
"It's in black and white that the club belongs to founding members and former players, which makes it all the more important for elections to be held.
"But this constitutional process was suppressed because of political interference. The people with political muscle then disrupted the whole process and put in place people they wanted on the board.
"A lot of violence was unleashed and many former players were forced to back off. But we have to bring back the order and put a stop to criminality," said Kamba.
The Marriot board was forced to issue a statement dismissing the indaba. The board's secretary Fungai Nyamayaro said the Electoral College was no longer in existence.
"It has come to the attention of Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd, the owner of Dynamos Football Club that certain individuals whose identities have not been disclosed are convening a meeting under the guise of the long-defunct electoral college of Dynamos Football Club on 12 March 2022.
"Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd and indeed, Dynamos Football Club wish to distance themselves from the aforesaid meeting and hereby place on record the fact that the meeting has nothing to do with the legitimate affairs of Dynamos Football Club.
"The individuals who are behind the meeting, which has been purportedly attributed to Dynamos Football club are neither members of Dynamos Football Club nor Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd.
"Meanwhile, both Dynamos Football Club (Pvt) Ltd and Dynamos Football Club note with concern the abuse of its logo, which is a registered trademark, and therefore its intellectual property, by the aforesaid individuals in clear violation of the Trade Marks Act.
"Appropriate legal action is being undertaken under the Criminal Laws of Zimbabwe to prevent any future abuse of that registered trademark," wrote Nyamayaro.
Source - The Herald
