Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZPC (Hwange) may suffer another heartbreak and fail to play in the Castle Lager Premiership this season.
After 35 years of unsuccessful bids, some too close, the Hwange-based thermal power station-sponsored side eventually got it right last season under Mebelo Njekwa when they won the Zifa Southern Region championship.
Mehluli Thebe and his executive pulled a joker when appointing Njekwa as coach and former Zimbabwe international and Hwange export Carrington Gomba as manager.
But it appears the effort was of no consequence.
As soon as the Zifa Southern Region Division One administration wrote to Zifa to advise that the ZPC Hwange had been promoted, the club was, in turn, advised to confirm its ownership structure.
They were advised of the Fifa licensing rules that bar clubs sponsored by the same organisation from playing in the same league.
Already ZPC sponsors its Kariba based team in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Around Christmas, the Hwange Power Station workers’ committee wrote to the company’s executive chairman, Sydney Gata, requesting him to intervene and serve the situation.
The workers’ body felt that after 35 years of trying, the lads deserved their crowning moment and be allowed to play in the Premiership.
Gata’s office then referred the matter to the organisation’s legal department to go through the Fifa provisions that discourage two teams from the same institution from playing in the same division.
Another problem has arisen, being the company’s reluctance to sponsor two teams at that level.
Thebe, the club’s secretary-general, who has over the last five years worked hard to ensure a Premiership League slot is brought to Hwange, refused to comment on the matter on Saturday.
“For that one I have no comment; kindly call our corporate services office; it’s a policy issue,” said Thebe.
The promotion of the club had come as a relief as Hwange FC (Chipangano) had just been relegated.
This had meant that they would still have Premiership football in the town.
ZPC (Hwange) is the third team from Matabeleland North after Chipangano and Tsholotsho to be promoted to the Premiership after Independence.
Despite ZPC (Hwange) being reluctant to give away the franchise and quoting suitors, Hwange FC have emerged as favourites to take up the slot, though there is a feeling that the team that finished second in the league race deserves to be considered.
