Twine Phiri: Allegedly enslaving his workers

Thursday May 17, 2012
• Six bulls in the Green Machine’s technical cockpit crash-land CAPS United
Twine Phiri, co-director of CAPS United has been caught offside amid reports that he has – for months – not been paying his workers of the Southerton-based Montagu Investments, cheap labour that has torched a storm with critics on matters welfare, .
In a move that has the propensity to prick the ire of the late Sungura icon SystemTazvida to an extent that he is “turning” in his grave as he created immortality for himself for championing the cause of the worker, Phiri, who struggled to produce accreditation cards for sports journos – the simplest task that a CEO of an elite soccer board can “never” fail to deliver before the inception of the season – is allegedly persistently using workers without paying them their dues and their families are now living in a state of abject starvation.
Montagu Investments has three companies in its armpits – Highveld Bearings, Auto Parts and Lee’s Imports and Exports.
Recently, Phiri moonlighted at the Metropolitan Bank, baying for a loan to fund the operations of the troubled premiership side CAPS United.
Important lesson for any football administrator: “Never finance football from a bank loan in the Zimbabwe set up.”
Phiri was not reachable for a comment by the time of going public.
Meanwhile, seismic confusion and administrative own goals have become the norm with CAPS United co-directors Farai Jere and Twine – in their “wisdom” or lack of it – saw it fit to employ six coaches in their technical department, the source of untold blips and blunders that have driven the wedge into the coffin of the club.
Controversially appointed Irish head coach Sean Connor commands his coaching quota while the distraught lieutenant Lloyd Chitembwe also bucks instructions from the touchline to the same boys in green.
Not outdone is also Richard Tswatswa, goalkeepers’ coach also force-throating instructions to the same chunk of boys while Baba Vagari A.K.A Brenna Msiska also flaunts his gusto in the same technical department.
Former warrior Joel Luphahla is also in the grotesque picture of the same technical department together with Kennedy Nagoli, pooling the number of CAPS United coaches to six, a loaded structure that is only obtainable in the Green Machine stable to its peril.
The wanton symptoms of their confusion have degenerated into shunting CAPS United to position 11 in a league of 16 teams. To date, it has won only 2 matches, registered 2 draw matches and was beaten in 3 matches.
CAPS United has in total scored only 5 goals and allowed 6 goals into its net.
Meanwhile, a reliable source privy to the defense mechanism of Sean Connor says should CAPS United decide to show him the exit, they should brace themselves for lawsuits that fall from trees like leaves and they would have to pay him for the whole season.
Unconfirmed reports say Connor has been given shares in CAPS United, the development that makes it difficult to show him the exit. He is now one of the directors and it needs a board meeting to take stern action against him.
This publication once permeated one of the CAPS United training sessions and overheard skillful midfielder Marvel Samaneka echoing “Who brought a farmer (Sean Connor) into the rank and file of CAPS United.”
Most CAPS United players have allegiance to Lloyd Chitembwe and they are pulling strings to infuriate Jere and Phiri to turn the hit against Sean Connor to pave the way for Lodza.

Only time will tell*