Fresh turmoil has erupted at Highlanders FC after the club moved to suspend chief executive officer Denzel Mnkandla following allegations of financial irregularities linked to the team’s pre-season trip to Botswana.
Mnkandla allegedly received a verbal suspension notice on Tuesday, and the club’s chairman, Kenneth Mhlophe, is set to provide a formal written notice today.
The decision has plunged the Bulawayo giants deeper into crisis at a time when supporters had hoped the club was entering a new era of stability and progress.
According to sources within the club, concerns first emerged during Bosso’s six-day stay in Botswana. Club treasurer Nkani Khoza is said to have become suspicious after noticing discrepancies in the costs charged for accommodation and other services.
After reportedly requesting invoices directly from the hotel, Khoza allegedly discovered that the figures presented to the club did not match those issued by the establishment.
Sources claim the club may have been overcharged by more than US$20,000 through an agent who had been working closely with Mnkandla in organising the trip. Insiders say the amount under question could increase as more invoices and records are examined.
The revelations have sparked outrage within the club and among supporters, many of whom believe the Botswana trip has exposed deeper problems in the way Highlanders is being run.
Mnkandla arrived at Bosso in July last year amid high expectations. Having previously worked at FC Platinum, he was viewed as a modern administrator capable of restoring order and professionalism to one of Zimbabwe’s biggest football clubs.