Highlanders – This is very painful

Themba Ndlela works for a company in the Midlands and has worked at Edgars while he was Treasurer of the Club at the time I was Technical Advisor. Whatever happened to the man, I just do not know. He did a good job working in an Executive that was led by the late Colonel James Mangwana Tshuma (MHSRIP). This gives one the impression that he is dull, education-proof if he cannot learn from the best , but he is a degreed man who went to University with the Vice-President Professor Welshmen Ncube. Therefore, on that note, I would beg to differ. This guy has an idea of how to do his job. He may be clowning or what, I do not know.

For starters, his challenger in his early forties or so, is Mandla Moyo. Frankly, he could be a colleague of mine that I am trying to remember well. I know he owns Sparrows Football Club that once played in the Division One league. He was well off and had a fleet of Kombis, a spares shop and owned a few buildings in town. This tells you of a business man who knew his football and has commitments elsewhere, like Ndlela.

Highlanders Football Club is a big team. They have a destination and the arrival time is here. Bosso cannot afford to live in the shadow of Caps United, Dynamos and FC Platinum. People who have loved and worked for the team cannot sit and watch at the rot. The team has to come back. Have we forgotten the Black and White road shows of old? With loud music and the get downs?

Accepting to be average and mediocrity has seen trophies and championships slip through the fingers. Since when has the Cathedral of Football known as BF become a slaughter-house of Amahlolanyama? Tshilamoya has become an ordinary name. This is the year to take the team back, to set the standards. Mantengwane is a team that always set the standards. We set the pace and others follow.

The Annual General Meeting of the team takes place on the 29th of January 2012. A week later, the fans will flock to elect the top brass of the team. There is no secret of the anger and disgruntlement of the nation that is in and out of the nation.There will be a lot demanded from Themba Ndlela and company. They were mandated with carrying the aspirations and pride of the legion of followers, supporters and fans from all over the world.

What have they have to show for our trust and faith? One cannot hide the feeling of betrayal and abuse from the elected leaders. It is not easy to wait painfully for that long to cast a vote. It cost money to make a date and travel to The Clubhouse. There will be lunch and drinks to buy. There is a risk of the traffic accidents and being in the crossfire when things get nasty.  All the bad things that can happen in between cannot equal the realisation that people trusted with your emotions are happy trampling on the hearts of many with a clear conscience. We can help but feel used.

The men who do this to us are not just unfair, but very abusive and deserve to be absent in our midst. The team and fans cannot be taken for a ride. The team is supreme and people must respect the Club, the black and white colours, the stadium and the culture of winning. It is Bosso's right to rule and rule it shall, and it is not a privilege.

There is no-one above the team or the club and no one shall be excused for abusing the constitution and their office to follow their personal agendas at the expense of the club. Who do they think they are? What are they? Highlanders is not just a name, a team, a club or a personal property. It is a way of life. It is a lifestyle.

There are times when even the larger populace entertain abusing the team by neglecting to renew membership and subscription. That is criminal and must stop now. Cheap talk does not have room at the club. The club is an action packed lifestyle that accepts nothing but  the best of all participates and it cannot be a vehicle of failure. It must never be. You cannot expect the best from the team if you are not applying the best yourself, otherwise you become worse that the failing executive. You become birds of a feather with them.

People painted their dogs, houses, bicycles and regalia black and white. Many have lost their lives for the team and may their souls rest in eternal peace. There are people who have lost families and relationships. There are people who have no identity for the sake of the team. Some people are called Highlander, Bosso or Mantengwane and then you find the lack of serious ness going on in the club.

Themba Ndlela who should be knowing this more than anyone else. How many years did he serve the club? How much effort and energy did they waste for Bosso and for what? What have they have to show for it? What? No this shall not be allowed to go on. It can't. Never.

Look, I honestly do not think at this time Ndlela carries the fire that saw us beat everyone in our sight and collected silverware after silverware. I am not asking for Mangwana Tshuma to rise up from the grave, or Zenzo Moyo and Thulani Ncube to don the black and white shirts and play. They did their part and they are done. I am demanding the respect of the team back. Bring the respectability and let us bring fear to our foes. Little boys now do not respect the team. They crawl left and right to touch our genitals willy nilly. That must end and the bug must stop with Ndlela in his new term. Let us vote him back to fix his mess and carry these demands unconditionally.

The issues coming forth is always that of  finance. That is his problem, not the teams'. It is not our baby. We demand a winning team that is well-financed. If he cannot sourced funds, what is he doing contesting? Ndlela must make a plan and soon. He must sell air, stones, soil or manure, whatever. He must know the expectation of the people and that all the weight is on his shoulders, finish and klaar. The ineptitude of his last term is not acceptable. Not at all.

The time to talk is gone. Now he must walk the talk. We are tired of excuse after excuse. 'We are rebuilding' is a banned phrase this year. I am not sure if anyone will be prepared for a telling dominance in obvious cases. The team should be fighting for honours and not 3rd, 4th and 5th. No Cups in the cabinet. Ndlela and company must not waste our time and play with our feelings.

As the date comes close, please, let us know what is happening on a regular basis. We cannot have stale news of each and every situation and having the executive shelving petty issues and hoping they will die natural deaths. The Club has governing statutes that run it, but most of the secrecy is crazily unnecessary. In trying to pry and dig for information, people think e-Diski.com is a Bosso property, or its mouth piece. They think I am based in the office. They assume I get paid.

The comparison with other teams that I am tired comparing to or even bored typing their names, they have well-manned websites. The team should be running a up to date official website, blog and official Facebook page. Have you realised how many Facebook pages fans and supporters have made in trying to get motivated, to get information and pushing the passion? There is Bosso this, Highlanders that and Tshila so and Mantengwane here. It is like the club is secret service and we are tired of that kind of ineptitude.

We must have breaking news on matters of the club and we cannot be negotiating deals with the executive over our team begging for public information. As members, is it that we must pay membership and go to the stadium to cough up and the shut up? It does not work like that. Come forth and be open. I did not even want to mention how much lack of consultation is going on, but we know. The honeymoon is over and by trusting you with Bosso, it is not a license to abuse our faith, our trust and happiness. We are making this year of 2012, a time of our joy.

I will get into your affairs a bit. Doing development business deals with First Mobile Sports Academy is a visionary move. I wish to thank Isaac Mbedzi for that and everyone really should do so. The unfortunate part is the lack of iron fist that is leading to politics and personal issues coming into the works.

As for the composition of the technical team, I believe it could have been better, but maybe there is an excuse why you chose it that way. Kelvin Kaindu was a fire-brand striker and went to a coaching school that I respect and I may attend myself this year. How much muscle he will have is something we will never know. I would want to believe the choice was based on ability than a 'sale tag' and that he will be able to spend on the material he wants. I am not sure if the vision is that the assistants will take over from him when he is done.

How many times have we seen assistants just being bench warmers and being discarded after they have been 'schooled' by head coaches? Kaindu is likely to read this. Brother, play football. Win games so you can fill the stadium. You are not new to that culture. You know the euphoria. People are tired of mediocrity and I know you have a very strong football background.You came at a point where you have a choice of playing good football, better football or the best football. Not winning is prohibited. I have no doubt you know expectation. When you fail to get any support, tell us. Waiting to speak after you are gone does not help you, the fans or the club. www.tsendex.wordpress.com will spying on your well-being.

From experience, less emphasis is put on paper-work. Social football times are gone. There must be written plans that you, Ndlela, as Chairman must know what they mean, read them, and understand. They must be the GPS to show where we are going. You are ever the co-pilot, the Captain of the ship. Trust on your instincts and put your balls in the vice, not what you have shown so far, we are fed-up.

There has been a lot of mistakes and mishaps caused by the Executive and that time ends with you here. I have always wanted to say whoever can take the reins, let them do so on their accord and we see where they will take the team, but I wish to apologise to the candidature and person of Mr. Moyo and say, let Ndlela take the Chair and let him know that we are watching. Watching like hawks. Let's vote Ndlela in.