CAPS United fire six senior players accused of leading strike action

While the rest of the world observed and commemorated international workers day, it was however a different case for six CAPS United players.

The club’s executive led by the club president Farai Jere wielded the axe on six senior players for reportedly leading a revolt on Sunday demanding all their outstanding dues.

The club’s co-captain who was also one of the longest serving members in Makepekepe’s current squad, Ronald ‘Rooney’ Chitiyo, the club’s returnees of duo Devon Chafa and Dennis Dauda are amongst the six players who were sacked.

The two time ex-Soccer Star of The Year winner Rodwell Chinyengetere, the league’s former top goal scorer Clive Augusto and goalkeeper Simba Chinani are then the other three who were also shown the exit door by the Green Machine.

The six players are accused of being the masterminds of a protest which took place on Sunday, in line with their unpaid winning bonuses.

The club’s hierarchy believes the sacked players influenced other players to stage the industrial action which nearly threatened the fulfillment of their league encounter against Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium in Harare over the weekend.

Sunday’s game had to be delayed by 45 minutes as the CAPS United players were threatening to boycott the fixture because the club was yet to pay them their winning bonuses for the last two games they played.

However, after a mutual agreement the players later on agreed to fulfill the fixture and lost 0-2 courtesy of Brian Muzondiwa’s brace which earned Bullets maximum points on the road.

In an interview with the NewsDay, the CAPS United president, Jere confirmed the departure of the six senior players.

“I have fired the six players. I don’t want to see them at Caps United. The reason is that results have not been coming. It is not consistent with their profiles. Their letters of dismissal have already been written and I am signing them right now.

“You can imagine, their salaries are paid up, they are up to date, but they participate in industrial action simply because they have not been paid bonuses for two matches. They want to be paid in United States dollars.

“They were also disrespectful to the coaches. Imagine, they selected their starting 11 where Chinani was the coach and even called for the substitution of Joseph Tulani. These players are bringing football into disrepute. Can I tolerate this?”

Also quoted by another publication the Herald Jere said: “They (players) decide to strike and threaten to boycott a league game and bring the league into disrepute. We are releasing them as free agents we cannot keep players that do not have an interest in the club to remain with the club.”

Nonetheless, speaking to Nehanda Radio yesterday (Monday) midfield maestro Chafa who is one of the victims, dismissed the allegations raised against him.

Instead, he is surprised how the club’s management came up with the decision to axe some individuals indicating that the whole team had partaken in the protest.

“The rumours of me being a ring leader in the revolt are wrong because it was a group thing. I don’t know how they (club executive) came up with that decision,” the former Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars player said. Nehanda Radio