Sangoma threatens to cast spell on Dynamos over unpaid bill

DYNAMOS' pre-season preparations have suffered greatly from financial woes which have threatened to choke their hopes for the year in both the domestic and the Champions League campaigns. One of the sticking points is a US$500 payment being demanded by a sangoma, which the executive have refused to pay and wants the coaching staff to settle the bill.

The sangoma has threatened to cast a bad spell on the team warning that Dynamos will lose their first five matches of the season if his bills are not settled.

Recently, club chairman Kenny Mubaiwa revealed the club's finances were in the red.

DeMbare, who have also been embroiled in player boycotts over dues owed from last season, have twice been forced to cancel valuable offers for international friendly matches in Botswana and South Africa because of unavailability of funds.

A source in the Dynamos camp yesterday revealed that the club is now in a critical situation.

"The team is in bad shape. They use a bumpy training ground at Raylton, which is contributing significantly to injuries to players. At least seven players are always out injured during training sessions," said the source

"Kenny Mubaiwa paid US$600 from his personal funds for the booking of the training ground at the National Sports Stadium B Arena, fuel for the technical staff's vehicles and transport allowances for the players."

The friendly game against Shabanie Mine scheduled for Maglas last weekend was cancelled because Dynamos officials said they did not have money to fund the team's trip and related costs like accommodation and player allowances.

The source said Shabanie had undertaken to house the Dynamos travelling party using the gate receipts, which meant that all the club needed was to hire a bus and provide transport allowances for the players to go to their homes once they were back in Harare.

Players had even agreed to forego the out-of-pocket allowances for the game in Zvishavane because they understood the financial plight of the team and wanted the friendly match to help their preparations.

The source also charged that their financial predicament has not been helped by the red tape imposed by the board of directors to control the movement of funds.

It also emerged that there is tension in the executive with some of the members resisting the changes effected at the beginning of the month.

"All expenditure at Dynamos now has to be authorised by the board of directors but there are big problems related to bureaucracy in trying to secure such authorisation because the board of directors want the executive to account for some of the expenditure from last year.

"One of the sticking points is a US$500 payment being demanded by a sangoma, which the executive have refused to pay and wants the coaching staff to settle the bill.

"The sangoma has threatened to cast a bad spell on the team warning that Dynamos will lose their first five matches of the season if his bills are not settled.

"The new club treasurer stays in Marondera and financial documents have to be taken there to be signed and then back to the board of directors in Harare and that could take a whole working day to process."

Dynamos have arranged a double header this weekend as they date Black Mambas at Rufaro on Saturday and then travel to Zvishavane the following day to fulfil their game against Shabanie Mine.

There was a silver lining to the dark cloud hovering over the DeMbare camp with Soccer Star of the Year and goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who is now a free agent, back at training and he could be in the picture this season after going for an unsuccessful trial stint in South Africa. Skipper Desmond Maringwa is also back from injury but Martin Vengesai and Derrick Kabwe are still on the sidelines.

Denver Mukamba, who is battling a knee injury, and Roderick Mutuma have also resumed training but worries are still lingering over their fitness.

Injury-prone midfielder Wonder Sithole - who had appeared to have recovered from a knee injury - is down again but this time with a calf strain.

But it the financial crisis more than the injury woes that is threatening the Dynamos camp.

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