Veronica Gwaze
Sports Reporter
DESPITE securing a lucrative sponsorship deal, boardroom squabbles within Premier Netball League are showing no signs of abetting.
Filchrist Boarding School founder, Jebes Muchapondwa, who was also the league steering committee secretary general, had to step down following irreconcilable differences that eventually led to the suspension of elections.
These squabbles could jeopardise the sponsorship deal between PNL and Nedbank, with the banking entity having poured in US$50 000 last season before pledging to stay on board this year.
The elections, meant to usher in a new PNL committee, were initially supposed to be held at the league’s annual meeting on March 9.
However, the elections were deferred due to disharmony and alleged interference by Zimbabwe Netball Association.
Amid an impasse between the outgoing committee and clubs, it was agreed that an interim steering committee be set up while issues were being resolved to allow for the resumption of PNL Season 2024.
However, indications are that the league steering committee is determined to start games without conducting the elections and coming up with solutions to various other issues bedevilling the league.
The league is scheduled to start on Saturday.
Out of frustration, Muchapondwa abandoned ship.
“The conflicts and differences were going back and forth so I felt it was taxing for me hence I decided to step down to invest more of my time in other things,” he said.
“I am passionate about netball which is why I had become part of the structures and I even had two teams in PNL and another one in Rainbow Netball League but sometimes you get to realise that some matters are above you.”
Muchapondwa has also withdrawn his two teams from the netball topflight.
PNL was officially launched in September 2021 and its executive was composed of chairperson Thabiso Mokoena, vice-chairperson Loveday Magaya, secretary-general Liberty Mhizha, vice-secretary-general Sarudzai Chapo, treasurer Kuziwakwashe Mutuza, fixtures-secretary Tinashe Jonasi, organising secretary Rodwel Turusa, and committee members – Ruth Banda, Shorai Gopito and Menfree Tanyanyiwa.