'Something stinks at the Highlanders clubhouse'

THE car wash business at the Highlanders clubhouse that paid the Bulawayo giants US$50 in revenue for the whole of 2023 as revealed by financial statements read out by club interim treasurer Israel Moyo at an annual general meeting (AGM) last Sunday, in fact, makes an average daily turnover of US$40, an investigation by B-Metro Sport can reveal.

Bosso members who attended last Sunday's AGM were left stunned after revelations that a business that operates daily at the Highlanders clubhouse remitted a mere US$50 into its coffers.

This publication went underground and spent an average of two hours per day on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons observing the number of cars that are cleaned at the joint and also talked to an employee at the car wash and made the following observations.

On Wednesday afternoon, in the two hours that a B-Metro news crew spent observing the car wash from a distance, three commuter omnibuses and two private vehicles were serviced and we were briefed that the cheapest service for an 18-seater public transport vehicle is pegged at US$5.

Car wash charges vary from body wash, interior and exterior wipe down, interior vacuum, tyre shine, dashboard polish, engine wash and body waxing among others.

The following day, in the words of the car wash employee "the day started slowly but we expect business to pick up later in the day" and at least three vehicles were serviced during the time that the news crew spent in the vicinity of the business.

The man who is reportedly running the car wash business identified as Clifford Ncube was hostile to the B-Metro Sport reporter when called to explain how the business remitted only US$50 for the whole year when he makes the amount every day.

To put it into context, Bosso was paid about US$0,13 per day by the car wash business, which makes more than US$50 per day.

"The car wash is owned by a guy who works at the Bulawayo City Council but I have forgotten his name. Why are you guys (B-Metro Sport) interested in that story anyway? You can write what you want but I will deal with you if that story is published.

"Highlanders supporters are already angry (that the car wash paid the club US$50) and you guys are asking me all these stupid questions," bellowed Ncube over the phone before terminating the call. Subsequent calls for follow-up questions were not answered.

The next stop was at the second-hand clothing market that paid the club US$80 for the year 2023 charged for keeping wares at the Highlanders clubhouse by vendors.

A vendor Michael Zimu said each vendor pays US$5 per month for the overnight safekeeping of their wares at a facility owned by Bosso.

There are more than 50 vending bays translating to a total of more than US$250 that the club makes from the safekeeping of wares owned by vendors each month, raising questions about how the Bulawayo giants were paid US$80 in "rent" for the whole year.

By interim treasurer Moyo's own admission, Highlanders' internal checks and controls are in shambles.

"The system is open for everyone to do as he or she wants. Internal audit is a very important pillar. There is a need for our financials to be validated by auditors. We need to improve on our internal checks and controls. I don't want to be a treasurer who reduces Bosso to a financially troubled club.

"We are incurring a lot of losses that even affect our junior teams. Our standard operating procedures are not really up to stretch. Let's have normal standards not only in finance but all over," said Moyo who added that the club can't account for US$8 000.

"I'm not attacking the board or my fellow executive members. The way we relate makes it difficult for me or any other treasurer to operate," added Moyo.

Highlanders made close to US$19 300 from kitchen sales at an eatery housed at the clubhouse.