Transport blues loom for Bosso

By Fungai Muderere

Transport blues are heavily looming for Bulawayo football giants, Highlanders, amid revelations the club’s Iveco team bus — registration number ACZ 1094, was attached by the office of the Deputy Sherriff on 27 September at their offices.

This follows the case between Bosso and National Society Security Authority (NSSA) case number H.C. 2829 /16 in which the defendant (Highlanders) is ordered to pay the plaintiff (NSSA) US$43 551-85 being the outstanding NSSA contributions as at last date of inspection 15 March 2016.

According to the case’s High Court papers that were gleaned by B-Metro Sport, the seizure removal date of the bus, which Bosso interestingly used for their trip to Harare last Sunday, was on Tuesday.

Court sources told this publication that the delay to the removal of the bus at the club’s offices was due to the ongoing talks between Highlanders lawyers and NSSA lawyers.

Bosso are being represented by a law firm that was only identified as Ncube and Partners while T Hara and Partners are arguing from NSSA’s corner.

We learnt that the defendant is also being ordered to pay an interest of the sum of $34 555-85 at the prescribed rate from the date of summons until date of full and final payment.The club’s other team bus which was sourced by club’s longtime benefactor Tshinga Dube in 2015 is currently grounded.

In July 2015, the team’s former player Masimba Mambare won a writ of execution to attach property from the club.

Mambare won his case at the High Court where he had taken his former club Bosso, seeking to recover $10 000 in signing-on fees.

Mambare played for Bosso in 2012 and 2013 following his move from Motor Action and was in December 2014 granted an arbitral order that he gets his dues.

Now the midfielder, who is being represented by the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe in his labour case number HC929-15, successfully won permission to attach property.

Among the property that was attached are two buses, including the Marco Polo bus which was commissioned by then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

An old minibus was also attached while Mambare could also go for office equipment, three computer sets, filing cabinets and office chairs.

Bosso are swimming in a debt close to $1 million a development that has seen an ambitious crowd-funding initiative aimed at raising about R30 million to clear the team’s debt take off, with the club’s South African supporters’ chapter opening a bank account where followers can deposit their contributions. B-Metro