THE Dynamos executive is divided on how to deal with the crisis at the Premiership football club following a strike which has disrupted operations since Tuesday.
TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
By yesterday none of the executive members had addressed the players after they downed tools demanding an increase in their draw bonus and to have other issues to do with their welfare addressed.
However, the players who spoke to NewsDaySport yesterday insisted they would not train until they were addressed on the issue.
Yesterday, they reported for their training session which was scheduled for Gwanzura Stadium at 1500hrs, but an hour later they hadn’t started, demanding to talk to their bosses first.
The industrial action by the players is threatening their Chibuku Super Cup match against Black Rhinos on Sunday.
NewsDaySport has gathered that there is huge division in the club hierarchy, which was spilling to the players. If not addressed early, the problems threaten to disrupt the team’s campaign this season.
When contacted for comment yesterday, club chairman Keni Mubaiwa and secretary-general Webster Chikengezha played the blame game.
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“This issue is being dealt with by the chairman. He is the one who is speaking on this issue,” said Chikengezha.
Mubaiwa on the other hand said he would not comment nor address the players, as that obligation lay solely on Chikengezha.
“What we have always been doing is that the secretary-general and the treasurer handle these issues, but I don’t know what is happening because I am out of town. If there are divisions, I don’t know, but what I will do is to sit down with other members of the executive first so that we see where the differences are coming from if they are there.
But like I said before, these players should follow procedure and not just rush to go on strike. We were in Bulawayo together, but they didn’t tell me their grievances. If there is a petition, I am waiting for it.
They can’t go on strike without telling us what their grievances are. Their problem is that they raise issues especially when they beat Highlanders or Caps United,” said Mubaiwa.
A source yesterday said Chikengezha had thrown in the towel because he felt he was being undermined by his fellow executive mates.
The source said every time Chikengezha addressed the players, and agreed on something with them, everything would be shot down by some of the executive members. This, the source added, had caused friction between Chikengezha and some players who accuse him of double standards.
“Clearly the executive is divided because Chikengezha who used to come and address the players is now refusing to do so because sometimes what he agrees with the players will not be supported by other members in the executive. This has created a problem because no one wants to come and address the players.
Chikengezha has decided to step aside because he does not want to appear the bad guy in this whole issue,” said a player who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Besides the issue of the draw bonus, players are also concerned that they were still to be given their winning bonuses for the last match against Black Mambas last year when they won the league title.
There are also alleged reports that some players were getting preferential treatment while others were still owed a lot of money from signing-on fees. Mubaiwa has, however, refuted those reports.
This comes as the Castle Lager Premiership champions prepare for their first round clash against red-hot Black Rhinos in the Chibuku Super at Gwanzura Stadium.
