Fungai Muderere
IT never rains but pours for Highlanders! Right on the heels of a $7 000 signing on fee and allowances demand by veteran midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa from Highlanders through his agent Ezra a�?Tshisaa�? Sibanda, B-Metro Sport has learnt that Bosso owes their former striker Graham a�?Grazoea�? Ncube $10 000 in signing on fees for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Bosso chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said while the case was taken to the Labour Court sometime ago, on Monday it was further postponed to a later date.
a�?Yes there is such a case and it has been in the Labour Court for some time. It is also being dealt with by our Human Resources committee. I dona��t know whether it is because of the January disease or the economic meltdown. Quite a number of our former players that include Simbarashe Gate are claiming their dues,a�? said Gumede, a veteran football administrator.
Contacted for comment, pint sized Ncube,A� who parted ways with Bosso in the middle of 2013 season said against the background of the fact that Highlanders has been his home for aA� longtime , he was looking forward to get his dues soon.
a�?Highlanders owes me and I have formally presented my case through my grandfather who is my representative. I am owed $10 000 which was supposed to be my signing on fees for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. On Monday we managed to talk to some Bosso officials that included secretary-general Emmet Ndlovu and I am looking forward to getting my money,a�? said Ncube, a 2011 Soccer Star of the Year finalist who has previously turned out for Mwana Africa, Bantu Rovers and Chicken Inn.
Last season, he was in the books of Lowveld-based side Triangle.
Currently, the player is club hunting.
In 2014, Highlanders were ordered to pay their former midfielder Masimba Mambare $10 000 in outstanding signing-on fees by a Bulawayo independent labour arbitrator.
Mambare and Bosso were embroiled in the legal dispute since the midfielder moved to the Bulawayo giantsa�� arch-rivals Dynamos at the beginning of 2014 under the Bosman ruling.
The former Motor Action midfielder had signed a two-year contract when he arrived at Bosso in 2012.
Under the contract, Highlanders were supposed to pay Mambare a signing-on fee of $10 000 but that money never materialised during his stay at the club.
After moving to DeMbare, Mambare sort the assistance of the Footballersa�� Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) to recover his dues.
FUZ approached the Bulawayo club regarding the matter, but failed to make a breakthrough. They were left with no option, but to approach the Labour Court, which in turn referred the matter before an independent arbitrator, Washington Chitima.
In their submissions, Highlanders argued that they were not entitled to pay Mambare the outstanding amount as the matter was now prescribed.
In legal terms, Bosso were simply saying that since Mambarea��s contract with them had run out at the end of 2013, they had no obligation to pay him.
However, Chitima ruled against Highlanders, saying they must pay Mambare.
In the same year the black and white camp was also dragged before the Labour Court by former players Bruce Tshuma and Heritan Masuku, whose contracts were not renewed at the end of 2013.
The duo, now with Bulawayo City and How Mine respectively, also claims that they were not paid their signing-on fees by the Bulawayo football giants.
