Dembare president refuses to go

A STORM is brewing in the Dynamos camp after club president Solomon Sanyamandwe yesterday refused to be pushed out of the Glamour Boys when he was handed a letter notifying him that his position has been abolished.

Sanyamandwe, who has been one of the club's benefactors for a long time, believes he is a victim of internal fights that have been silently taking place in the Premiership football club's top echelons.

The Harare businessman received his dismissal letter yesterday, but vowed to fight back until he gets fair treatment. Sanyamandwe even queried the authenticity of the document.

Board chairman Bernard Marriot was not immediately available to comment on the latest development.

"Yes, I received a letter today informing me that the president's post has been abolished. However, I still need to make some consultations with the board because I cannot recognise the signature on this document.

"I don't know who signed it and that means the whole thing is null and void until I get confirmation from Mr Marriot himself and the other board members.

"Many things have been happening behind the scenes and I know where all this is coming from," said Sanyamandwe.

Sanyamandwe had previously served as vice president.

He was appointed club president in July last year, replacing Kenny Mubaiwa, who had stepped down because of the never-ending squabbling at the club. But his position became more ceremonial with the appointment of banker Isiah Mupfurutsa as executive chairman.

The club's leadership reasoned then that the president would act as a bridge linking the executive and the board in the discharge of their duties. However, Sanyamandwe has not been popular with the old guard in the DeMbare executive ever since he tried to sack club secretary-general Webster Marechera and treasurer Moses Chikwariro.

The two senior officials were given the boot on allegations of misappropriation of funds last year, but board chairman Marriot rescinded the decision. Since then, the working environment at DeMbare has been toxic. Marriot has been accused of shielding the duo and in the end Sanyamandwe had to be sacrificed.

Sources said the Harare businessman was pushed out because he had also insisted on instituting a financial audit to ascertain how funds are being used.

There was also a huge fall-out on how the $18 000 package that was availed by the club's sponsors NetOne when they intervened last year to settle the debt of Cameroonian Joel Christian Epoupa was used.

The payment was made through the company's mobile platform but the expatriate forward refused to take the money insisting that he wanted to be paid in hard currency.

"Of course, there are some interested forces from outside in all this, but Marriot is largely being influenced by the secretary-general and the treasurer to get rid of Sanyamandwe.

"Remember he (Sanyamandwe) tried to fire these guys last year on clear charges but Marriot fought in their corner. Then he asked for an audit and this is the price he is paying. The idea of carrying out an audit was vehemently resisted by those in authority.

"Up to now, no one knows where the $18 000 that was supposed to pay Epoupa went. For accountability's sake, the money was supposed to be returned to the sponsors. Now the sponsors are not happy reading about FIFA threatening sanctions on Dynamos over the issue. Then they claimed that they used it to settle some of the players' outstanding dues but up to the end of the season the players still complained that they were not paid.

"They didn't even receive their dues for their participation in the Chibuku Super Cup. Sanyamandwe is prepared to fight to the end because the club owes him substantial amounts of money," said a source.