Makepekepe players strike over salaries

CASTLE Premiership football side CAPS United players have reportedly gone on strike over unpaid salaries and winning bonuses.

Some of the players, according to informed sources, approached former director and Harare businessman Farai Jere yesterday with reports indicating that they had gone for five months without salaries.

But Caps United chief executive officer Joe Makuvire said they also heard about the issue, but said they only owed them one month's salary and a winning bonus.
"We owe them one month's salary and one winning bonus and we have acknowledged that.

"People outside club structures cannot pay our players without consulting us. And this now comes hard on the heels of the lacklustre performance against Dynamos and we wonder whether really it was a fair loss or something was happening.

"We might question the dedication of some of the players and be forced to investigate. We might also be forced to write to the Premier Soccer League and Zifa over the issue depending on the information we gather," Makuvire said.

Caps, owned by Twine Phiri, were unbeaten in their last 10 league matches before the 1-0 loss to Dynamos in the 71st Harare Derby at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday. They are in fifth position with 35 points from 21 matches.

Jere told NewsDay Sport that he had not seen the players. "I heard they came to my offices, but I did not see them. I never spoke to them."
Jere is the former vice-president of the club who quit the 2005 and 2006 champions when they were beaten 3-0 by Dynamos in the Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-finals in Bulawayo last year.

He says he is owed $1,4 million by the club and, legally, still owns 25% of the former champions.

Jere initially held a 20% stake in CAPS United (Pvt) Ltd, the private company that owns the football club, and his shareholding in the club was meant to be upped to around 45% last year, but the deal fell through.

Jere poured in more than $1 million into the club over the last seven years, having joined the administrative structures of Caps United in 2004 when they won their first back to back titles under Charles Mhlauri.

They repeated the same feat in 2005 with some of the best players to grace the Zimbabwean football landscape in the form of Joseph Kamwendo, Laughter Chilembe, Ian Bakala, Cephas Chimedza, Raymond Undi, Brian Badza and Leonard Tsipa among others.

They have been one of the biggest exporters of players to South Africa in recent years after sending Method Mwanjali, Nyasha Mushekwi, now at KV Oostende in Belgium, Oscar Machapa, who recently returned home to join Dynamos, Simba Sithole, Tafadzwa Rusike and Khama Billiat.

While there have been calls for Jere to return to the club, he told our sister paper The Standard last November that it was time for someone to take over.

"Maybe I do not have the luck and it is time for someone who can bring the good luck to take over. In 2009, Caps had eight players that won the Cosafa Cup for Zimbabwe, but the team was fighting relegation. Remember we had players such as Method Mwanjali, Edmore Sibanda, Tafadzwa Rusike and Nyasha Mushekwi in that team.

"I have done everything for Caps, but results have not been coming. The players are well-paid. They get $500 as winning bonuses while players from other teams get $150. Caps is a big club and it has a club house. I am asking myself what we should do. I'm stuck," says Jere.

"I am frustrated with the way the club has performed, but I also feel that I have played my part in local football. Anyone interested in the 25% ownership stake that I have should come forward.

"This was the right time because I need to give my partner Twine Phiri time to prepare for next season when the players are still around. I remain a Caps United fan and will always attend their matches."