Unpaid CEO deepens Bosso crisis

Highlanders Football Club has been plunged into fresh administrative turmoil after chief executive officer Denzel Mnkandla informed the club's leadership that he could no longer report for duty because he has gone three months without receiving his salary.

In a letter addressed to club chairman Kenneth Mhlophe and dated June 29, Mnkandla said the club's failure to pay his salary since March had left him financially unable to continue performing his duties.

"I write this letter with a heavy heart after giving careful consideration to my present circumstances. As you are aware, I have continued to discharge my duties with utmost commitment and loyalty despite the Club's prolonged financial challenges," Mnkandla wrote.

"However, I have now reached a point where I am no longer able to continue reporting for duty owing to the continued non-payment of my salary, which has remained outstanding since March 2026."

He said the prolonged salary arrears had left him unable to meet basic living expenses, including transport, accommodation and food.

"The prolonged non-payment has rendered me financially incapacitated, making it impossible for me to meet basic obligations such as transport, accommodation, food and other essential living expenses. Consequently, I am unable to continue rendering my services effectively," he wrote.

Mnkandla stressed that his decision should not be interpreted as a resignation or abandonment of his position.

"This communication should therefore not be construed as a resignation from my employment or an abandonment of my duties. Rather, it serves as formal notice that, as matters presently stand, I am financially incapacitated from continuing to perform my contractual obligations due to the Club's failure to fulfil its corresponding obligation to remunerate me."

Despite the impasse, Mnkandla reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulawayo giants and expressed hope that the dispute would be resolved promptly.

"I remain committed to the Club and sincerely hope that this unfortunate situation can be resolved as a matter of urgency. Upon payment of the outstanding salary arrears, or upon reaching a mutually acceptable arrangement regarding the same, I shall gladly resume my duties," he said.

He also indicated his willingness to engage the club's leadership in finding an amicable solution.

Sources familiar with developments at Highlanders said Mnkandla's salary was stopped in March after he was suspended over allegations relating to the club's trip to Botswana, during which management believed the club had been overcharged.

Although the suspension was later lifted, sources allege his salary was never reinstated.

Another source said there was no formal club resolution authorising the continued withholding of the chief executive's salary.

The source further claimed that Highlanders' executive had resolved during a meeting last month that Mnkandla should receive his outstanding salary after the club's match against Dynamos, but the payment had still not been made.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe were unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered and messages sent to his WhatsApp account had not been responded to by the time of publication.

The latest development adds to the administrative and financial challenges confronting Highlanders as the club continues to grapple with off-field instability.