BULAWAYO- Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has offered to settle Highlanders’ US$27,000 debt to former coach Baltemar Brito and his assistant Antonio Joao Torres after the club was banned from registering new players by FIFA.
Chivayo, who made his milions in government tenders in Zimbabwe and across Africa, stepped in after the skint Bulawayo club sent an SOS less than a month before the new Premier Soccer League season gets underway.
The Intratrek Zimbabwe boss reacted to a news report of Highlanders’ predicament, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Bosso ngenkani! Iteam yezwe lonke. Babethi ayibulawe, ayisoze ibulawe sikhona. I will gladly pay this outstanding debt directly to the former coach tomorrow (Monday) without fail. Someone please inbox and share the banking details with exact amount due asap.”
It was not immediately clear if the club would take him up on his offer.
Chivayo has hogged headlines with eye-popping public donations to celebrities, church leaders and other causes, including over US$11 million spent on vehicles he gave away.
He has previously made donations to football clubs including Highlanders, Dynamos, Scottland FC and also the Zimbabwe national team. In 2017 Chivayo settled Highlanders’ US$4,000 fine imposed by the PSL over crowd trouble in their match with Dynamos.
Highlanders recently lost over half a dozen players, four of them to league debutants Scottland FC. A transfer ban before the season opener against newly promoted MWOS FC on March 2 would cripple the club after FIFA’s ban which prevents the registration of new players until the debt to the former coaches is settled.
As of October last year, Brito was owed US$14,778 and US$237.71 in interest while Torres was owed US$11,788 plus interest of US$193.74.
Chivayo, who is linked with South African company Ren-Form CC, has won over US$100 million worth of tenders in Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Namibia for the supply of election materials. He denies corruption allegations linked to the tender awards.
