Sports / Local
Willard Khumalo, Chikwata row rages on
03 Oct 2011 at 14:04hrs | Views
THE row between Zimbabwe Saints and its "coach" Willard "MaWii" Khumalo rages on with both parties absolving themselves from causing the impasse, amid revelations the club still owes the former Highlanders midfielder signing on fees.
According to impeccable sources Saints owes Khumalo in excess of $5 000 that includes outstanding bonuses, signing on fees and transport allowances.
Chikwata is also yet to settle Khumalo's hospital bill that he incurred when he was admitted at a city hospital.
The source said the hospital authorities had written a letter of demand to Khumalo demanding that he settles the bills.
Although Khumalo refused to shed light on the issue on the outstanding monies owed him, Saints chairman, Felix Dzumbunu admitted that the club was indebted to Khumalo.
"As you know we have been going through a bad patch financially and I am sure "MaWii" is not the only one that we owe. The situation is not peculiar to "MaWii", however I would also like to stress that it is not deliberate. We have tried our best to pay the technical department and players despite the bad financial position we are in," he said.
Dzumbunu "said they were not aware of Khumalo's outstanding medical bills but they were willing to assist him in clearing the bill.
"We are not aware of the (medical) bills but we are willing to assist him in settling the bills once he has approached us," he added.
Dzumbunu said the club only last heard from Khumalo when he sought compassionate leave when he was ailing and as far as they were concerned he was still on sick leave.
"What we know as the executive is that he is still ailing as we do not have any information to the contrary. When "MaWii" said he is ailing, club secretary, Caleb Sengu wrote him a letter giving him compassionate leave and he is yet to report back to work and tell us that he is now fit for duty," he added.
On being asked whether as employers they were not checking on an employee who was ill, Dzumbunu said Khumalo was in touch with organising secretary, Jabulani Chinyangarara.
Khumalo said he had called Sengu and informed him that he was now fit for work but he (Sengu) said he was at his farm and he (Khumalo) should get hold of the chairman, who was unavailable at the time.
"I do not understand how the (Saints) executive can say I did not inform them that I was ready to report for duty. I called Sengu and he referred me to the chairman, but I could not get hold of him (Dzumbunu) at the time," he said.
Sengu was however singing a different tune and claimed Khumalo had promised to visit him but never showed up.
"He called me and said he will come to my office but never pitched up. At Saints we only fired Agent Sawu and replaced him with Ephrahn Chawanda. Khumalo's position is still vacant and waiting for his return. He should just approach us and we deal with the matter once and for all. No one turned him away," he said.
According to impeccable sources Saints owes Khumalo in excess of $5 000 that includes outstanding bonuses, signing on fees and transport allowances.
Chikwata is also yet to settle Khumalo's hospital bill that he incurred when he was admitted at a city hospital.
The source said the hospital authorities had written a letter of demand to Khumalo demanding that he settles the bills.
Although Khumalo refused to shed light on the issue on the outstanding monies owed him, Saints chairman, Felix Dzumbunu admitted that the club was indebted to Khumalo.
"As you know we have been going through a bad patch financially and I am sure "MaWii" is not the only one that we owe. The situation is not peculiar to "MaWii", however I would also like to stress that it is not deliberate. We have tried our best to pay the technical department and players despite the bad financial position we are in," he said.
Dzumbunu "said they were not aware of Khumalo's outstanding medical bills but they were willing to assist him in clearing the bill.
Dzumbunu said the club only last heard from Khumalo when he sought compassionate leave when he was ailing and as far as they were concerned he was still on sick leave.
"What we know as the executive is that he is still ailing as we do not have any information to the contrary. When "MaWii" said he is ailing, club secretary, Caleb Sengu wrote him a letter giving him compassionate leave and he is yet to report back to work and tell us that he is now fit for duty," he added.
On being asked whether as employers they were not checking on an employee who was ill, Dzumbunu said Khumalo was in touch with organising secretary, Jabulani Chinyangarara.
Khumalo said he had called Sengu and informed him that he was now fit for work but he (Sengu) said he was at his farm and he (Khumalo) should get hold of the chairman, who was unavailable at the time.
"I do not understand how the (Saints) executive can say I did not inform them that I was ready to report for duty. I called Sengu and he referred me to the chairman, but I could not get hold of him (Dzumbunu) at the time," he said.
Sengu was however singing a different tune and claimed Khumalo had promised to visit him but never showed up.
"He called me and said he will come to my office but never pitched up. At Saints we only fired Agent Sawu and replaced him with Ephrahn Chawanda. Khumalo's position is still vacant and waiting for his return. He should just approach us and we deal with the matter once and for all. No one turned him away," he said.
Source - sundaynews
