Highlanders Board: Guardians or Grave-diggers of a proud legacy?

Highlanders Football Club, Bosso, as it is affectionately known, is more than a sports team. It is a symbol of heritage, pride, and resilience for its supporters and the broader community. Yet, today, this venerable institution stands dangerously imperiled, not because of external competition or sporting misfortunes, but due to a crisis festering within its very leadership. The Highlanders Board, entrusted with the sacred duty of oversight and stewardship, is sleeping on the job. This dereliction has enabled a culture of uncouth and unchecked behavior by the Executive Committee (Exco) that is systematically dismantling the club's foundations. *Compounding this failure is the board's blatant disregard for its own Constitution. Articles 13.2 and 13.3 clearly define the criteria for Board membership: a member must have rendered outstanding service for at least 10 years, be at least 35 years old, and crucially, their appointment must be ratified by members at a general meeting. It is deeply unfortunate and fundamentally unconstitutional that the last three individuals seconded to the board have never undergone this mandatory member ratification. Their continued presence on the board is a direct violation of the club's supreme governing document.*

The responsibility for this rot lies squarely with the Board Chair, Luke Mnkandla, and his cadre of elderly men. These men, perhaps burdened by age and the weight of their positions, appear unable or unwilling to lead with the vigor and accountability Bosso so desperately needs. It is no secret that leadership requires more than tenure, it demands courage, integrity, and vision. Yet, what we witness is a board that struggles even to smile, a metaphor for a leadership out of touch, lethargic, and indifferent to the club's plight. *This inertia extends to failing to uphold basic constitutional requirements. Furthermore, serious questions linger about the tangible contributions some board members have actually made to Highlanders FC or even society at large to justify their positions under the "outstanding service" clause. Disturbingly, there is a growing perception that some individuals find themselves on, or are forwarded to, the board not on merit, but simply because they are friends or associates of existing members – a practice utterly at odds with the spirit and letter of Article 13. Where are we going as Highlanders when constitutional breaches and cronyism are allowed to fester? All this is happening whilst the Board Chair, Luke Mnkandla, watches passively, doing nothing.*

Oversight is the bedrock of good governance. The Board's mandate is to protect the club's legacy, ensure financial prudence, and hold the Executive Committee accountable. Instead, they have neglected this role with a contempt that is both reckless and unforgivable. The consequences of this inaction are not abstract, they are immediate and tangible, the club is hemorrhaging money, its reputation is tarnished, and its future is on precarious grounds.

Recent revelations have unveiled a catalogue of financial irregularities that paint a grim picture. Over the past weeks, reports have exposed how certain officials, both on the board and within the executive ranks, have been fingered and alleged as culprits in schemes that robbed the club of hundreds of thousands of United States dollars over a period of more than 10 years. The Bosso multitudes, the loyal fans whose passion sustains the club, have been given the middle finger by those sworn to protect their interests. This betrayal is not merely a financial crime, that needs our professional and well able ZRP Commercial Crimes and ZACC to investigate, it is a moral affront to everyone who cherishes the Highlanders name.

One of the most disturbing episodes involves the disappearance of a charge sheet against Mrs. Mkhandla, an official implicated in alleged wrongdoing. Exco Chair Kenny Mhlophe publicly admitted that this crucial document had vanished and that a new charge sheet was being drawn up. Such a brazen loss of vital information in an organization that prides itself on discipline and transparency is baffling, or is it? The likelihood of innocent mishap here strains credulity. It raises uncomfortable questions about whether underhand dealings are at play, with certain actors deliberately sabotaging investigations to shield themselves or their allies.

The board's role in this drama should be one of vigilance and protection, yet their silence and inaction speak volumes. By failing to act decisively, the board is complicit in allowing vultures within the club to pick it apart. This is not just about negligence; it is about the abdication of duty at the highest level.

Further allegations have surfaced about unethical medical practices used to siphon funds. A particular Exco member reportedly makes players to undergo x-rays at his own medical facility, in some instances, x-rays that were later deemed fake since the players were not injured. This cynical exploitation of players' health and the club's resources reflects a leadership devoid of ethical compass. It is a flagrant abuse that must be addressed urgently.

"The fish rots from the head," the old adage goes. In the Highlanders' case, the decay is unmistakably traced to Chairman Luke Mnkandla. His failure to assert control, to enforce accountability, *to uphold the constitution regarding board appointments*, and to protect the club casts a long shadow over his leadership. One wonders if the age and inertia of the board have rendered it ineffective, or worse, if certain members are aligned with the very corruption they ought to eradicate.

Adding to the toxic atmosphere is the alarming tendency to silence critics. Those who dare to expose the rot find themselves marginalized or threatened, a tactic aimed at preserving the status quo and concealing inconvenient truths. Such repression is anathema to transparency and good governance, and it serves only to deepen the crisis.

At the heart of many of these dubious dealings is the club secretary, Mogern Dube, alleged to be the mastermind orchestrating a web of shady transactions. From suspicious player transfer fees to questionable signing-on fees and even dubious deals involving the stands, embezzlement of club funds by funding his failed ZIFA Committee Member bid, Dube is said to be at the epicenter of schemes that have drained the club's coffers. Since, it is alleged that he used club funds for the ZIFA gig, does this mean that the club was funding and supporting his ZIFA campaign? What amplifies the pain is that these activities occur openly, under the watchful eyes of the board led by Mnkandla, who has yet to demonstrate the teeth necessary to confront these malpractices.

This raises a chilling question: could the inaction of both the Board Chair and the Exco Chair indicate complicity? Is their failure to act a silent endorsement of the financial malfeasance, *the unconstitutional board composition,* and organizational decay? The club's supporters deserve an answer.

The leadership vacuum at Bosso is not just a matter of poor management, it is an existential threat. Without urgent intervention, the club risks losing its sponsors, partners, historical stature and alienating the very supporters who have nurtured it through decades of triumphs and tribulations. Highlanders FC are more than a football club, they are a cultural institution, a source of identity and pride. To allow it to be dismantled by greed, cowardice, *and disregard for its own constitution* is a betrayal of its legacy.

What is required now is a radical reawakening from the board. They must reclaim their oversight mandate with renewed vigor and accountability. This means initiating transparent and comprehensive investigations into all allegations of financial wrongdoing, *ensuring strict adherence to the constitution regarding board appointments and ratification,* ensuring that those found culpable face swift and appropriate consequences. The board must also foster a culture where whistleblowers are protected, and dissent is welcomed as a force for good.

Moreover, the board must engage the Bosso community openly and honestly. Transparency is not optional but a necessity if the club is to restore trust and rebuild its shattered reputation. The leadership must demonstrate a commitment to ethical governance, financial prudence, *constitutional compliance,* and respect for the club's heritage.

The time for excuses and complacency has passed. The Highlanders Board must understand that their legacy will be judged not by their tenure but by the courage and integrity with which they respond to this crisis. The supporters, the lifeblood of the club, are watching, and their patience is waning.

Highlanders Football Club stands at a critical crossroads. The unchecked misdeeds of the Executive Committee, enabled by a dormant board *that itself violates the constitution*, have placed the club in jeopardy. Chairman Luke Mnkandla and his board must awaken from their slumber and act decisively. The future of Bosso depends on it. Failure to do so will not just be a failure of leadership but a betrayal of a proud legacy that has inspired generations.

Highlanders deserve a board that protects and upholds its laws, not a board that presides over decay *and ignores its constitution*. The time to act is now, for the club, for its supporters, and for the legacy of Bosso itself.
Opinions Silent Echo in his personal capacity and can be contacted on 

Email: esilent179@gmail.com