Sports / Soccer
'Bosso drift into chaos'
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Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe is facing mounting pressure from within the club, with life member Pilate Mahlangu calling for a vote of no confidence and accusing the leadership of letting the storied institution run "on autopilot."
Mahlangu, a Doctor of Laws candidate in Corporate Law and former executive candidate, confirmed that he submitted the motion to the club last Friday. He said the initiative is intended to hold Mhlophe and his team accountable for the management of Bulawayo's biggest sporting institution.
"The idea is to hold him to account from now. Public officials should remember it's not their personal property," Mahlangu told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
His criticism follows similar concerns raised weeks earlier by former board member Thomas Ngwenya, who said Highlanders was being run like "someone's private business." Mahlangu acknowledged that the club's constitution requires a two-thirds majority for the motion to pass, but said the effort is necessary as a wake-up call.
"Leaders of institutions should be subordinate to membership," Mahlangu said. He accused club staff of operating without discipline or oversight, claiming that employees are acting freely while the chairman is either complicit or unaware of developments.
In an 11-point letter to Mhlophe, Mahlangu cited multiple issues, including scandals, internal leaks, high turnover of CEOs, fraud allegations, questionable player transfers, and the absence of an audit committee. He said these factors demonstrate that Highlanders is losing direction. Among his allegations, Mahlangu noted that the club's reputation has suffered repeatedly, confidential documents have leaked from the executive, and unresolved fraud allegations—including a $5,000 case involving a former CEO—persist. He also pointed to controversial player dealings, delays in appointing a new coach, and poor on-field performances as evidence of mismanagement.
Mahlangu further criticised Mhlophe for presiding over what he described as "the unenviable accolade" of being the first Zimbabwean club investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
"The train is on autopilot on the way to a crash landing," Mahlangu warned. "As the head of the executive, you are vicariously liable for the deeds or misdeeds happening under your watch."
Founded in Makokoba in 1926, Highlanders is more than a football club in Bulawayo; it is a significant part of the city's identity. Mahlangu warned that the current trajectory threatens both the club's heritage and its future.
Attempts to reach Mhlophe for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Mahlangu, a Doctor of Laws candidate in Corporate Law and former executive candidate, confirmed that he submitted the motion to the club last Friday. He said the initiative is intended to hold Mhlophe and his team accountable for the management of Bulawayo's biggest sporting institution.
"The idea is to hold him to account from now. Public officials should remember it's not their personal property," Mahlangu told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
His criticism follows similar concerns raised weeks earlier by former board member Thomas Ngwenya, who said Highlanders was being run like "someone's private business." Mahlangu acknowledged that the club's constitution requires a two-thirds majority for the motion to pass, but said the effort is necessary as a wake-up call.
"Leaders of institutions should be subordinate to membership," Mahlangu said. He accused club staff of operating without discipline or oversight, claiming that employees are acting freely while the chairman is either complicit or unaware of developments.
In an 11-point letter to Mhlophe, Mahlangu cited multiple issues, including scandals, internal leaks, high turnover of CEOs, fraud allegations, questionable player transfers, and the absence of an audit committee. He said these factors demonstrate that Highlanders is losing direction. Among his allegations, Mahlangu noted that the club's reputation has suffered repeatedly, confidential documents have leaked from the executive, and unresolved fraud allegations—including a $5,000 case involving a former CEO—persist. He also pointed to controversial player dealings, delays in appointing a new coach, and poor on-field performances as evidence of mismanagement.
Mahlangu further criticised Mhlophe for presiding over what he described as "the unenviable accolade" of being the first Zimbabwean club investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
"The train is on autopilot on the way to a crash landing," Mahlangu warned. "As the head of the executive, you are vicariously liable for the deeds or misdeeds happening under your watch."
Founded in Makokoba in 1926, Highlanders is more than a football club in Bulawayo; it is a significant part of the city's identity. Mahlangu warned that the current trajectory threatens both the club's heritage and its future.
Attempts to reach Mhlophe for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Source - the chronicle
