Fungai Muderere
Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS board of directors’ chairman Luke Mnkandla says he only learnt about the recruitment of Baltermar Brito when the coach had already arrived at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo.
He refused to go to the airport when he was asked to make the trip to welcome the coach. Mnkandla said they have no business interfering in the hiring of coaches, how the team is coached and how players are recruited into the club.
Mnkandla told Bosso members that they have been victims of baseless allegations.
“A lot is being said, there are allegations that the Highlanders board has been interfering in the hiring of coaches.
“It has even gotten worse because the allegations are now targeting individuals like me.
“I have never done that and the board has never done that.
“We have given direction to the executive with regards the club’s financials, which has been difficult for the executive to get right.
“There was never a time that I interfered on which coach was hired or not,” said Mnkandla.
He added: “From the days of Mandla Mpofu to the likes of Henrik Pieter de Jong and Mark Harrison, we had no say.
“With Baltemar Brito and Antonio Torres, who left last year, I was only told that they were at the airport. “I was asked if I was free to go and pick them up and I said no, I only met them at the office. “With regards to Kelvin Kaindu, the executive team only told me that they were engaging him.
“The next communication I got was that they had settled for him.
“Somebody in New York actually asked me if it was true that I was interfering in the recruitment of coaches. It’s really bad as I have been subjected to a lot of name calling.”
Bosso secretary-general Morgen “Gazza” Dube said:
“Our board chairman is exonerated. He has never interfered in the club’s hiring of coaches,” said Dube.
Kaindu retraced to Bosso early this month and he leads a technical team that has Try Ncube and the legendary Madinda Ndlovu as his assistants.