There is no deal between Highlanders and new mobile network company Broadacom, the Bulawayo football giants have confirmed.
The club said many players coming into their fold were not good for maintaining relations with sponsors who were already on board.
Highlanders treasurer Odiel Nkomo yesterday said the club had no association with Broadacom, a company whose general manager Gerald Zumbika reportedly confirmed partnership with Bosso on March 2 at the launch of the firm at Suburbs Squash Club.
“I am not going to comment on Broadacom. Actually, Highlanders does not have any association with that company, nothing at all. They have not approached us. This actually antagonises sponsors that we already have,” Nkomo said.
However, Broadacom brand manager Prosper Mutswiri yesterday said there was a lot of administrative work that was being done and their partnership with Highlanders was being handled by their dealers — Southtel Wireless — who will be in Bulawayo on Monday.
“The position is that there is a lot of administration work that is being done. We are doing that through our dealer (Southtel), who will be in Bulawayo on Monday and they are the ones who are in communication with Highlanders,” Mutswiri said.
Early this week, Highlanders chairman Peter Dube said nothing had been formalised with Broadacom. Nkomo yesterday said Highlanders still have on board BancABC as their main sponsors and confirmed discussions are at an advanced stage with Savanna Tobacco, who make a return to the Bulawayo football giants after a two-year absence.
The Highlanders treasurer said indications from Bakers Inn were they were going to renew their sponsorship deal which ends on March 31 while Buscod Supermarkets had terminated their financial backing for Highlanders.
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“BancABC are still our sponsors and we are still talking to Savanna and there are still a few things that need to be tied up. Bakers Inn sponsorship ends on March 31, but there are indications they will continue while Buscod have not indicated they will be continuing or not with their sponsorship,” Nkomo said.
Dube and Nkomo met with Savanna representatives in Harare last Saturday to map the way forward regarding the issue of the sponsorship, which was confirmed by the cigarette manufacturer’s marketing manager Fadzai Chariga.
In January, former Highlanders chairman Themba Ndlela told the club’s annual general meeting Savanna Tobacco had released an undisclosed amount of money for players’ signing-on fees. Ndlela said Savanna would be coming up with a full, new sponsorship package and sources said the firm had given Highlanders $50 000 for players’ signing-on fees.
BancABC provides Highlanders with kits and is responsible for paying salaries for players and technical staff.
The financial institution also bankrolls Harare giants Dynamos and police squad Black Mambas.
