MBABANE (31 May 2025): A resurgent Mbabane Highlanders is now being stalked by the demons of instability. Patrons and elders of the much-decorated legendary giants plan a big event to celebrate the club’s heroes and past legends. But the way they are going about it is rubbing their most important asset, their Governor and inspiration of their re-discovered vigour, President Bheki “Rubber” Simelane the absolute wrong way.
Rubber is said to feel so undermined that he is ready to throw in the towel. If he goes, he will be following in the footsteps of his immediate predecessor in title, Ali Kgomongwe who, also feeling rebuffed, retreated back to his native Pretoria.
The thorn that threatens to re-open a recently healed wound, are perceptions that the club Elders are undermining the authority of the Management Committee of their President and are going ahead with plans for the club without properly consulting their President.
Rubber, from many sources including the managing director, Mandla Simelane and club spokesman Lington Gule is close to walking away from Mbabane Highlanders again. The danger that this would plunge the club back into the abyss from which he recently rescued it is real.
Just before the Covid 19 crisis, Highlanders found itself adrift. Pretoria businessman Ali Kgomongwe who answered to the call to rescue the club managed to boost it for one normal year in 2019. The following April Covid 19 struck, and soccer was abandoned for the next three years.
The recovery period was particularly hard for independent clubs and favoured institution clubs from the disciplined forces that stayed together and trained together who have excelled post Covid 19.
The struggle to adjust to the new normal chaffed at many levels. Soccer by its nature attracts a certain personality in management and often responds best to here and present direction. In the case of Highlanders, distance did not make the heart grow fonder. As the club strained to adjust to a boss by distance-management, rumours fed perceptions that soon drove the club elders and Ali athwart. In the process the team was abandoned with no one taking care of Highlanders management, training and fielding a well prepared team in the league tournament.
Can history now repeat itself? Midway through the MTN League, the Bull jettisoned their director and reverted to the format of a people’s club under a cabinet of patrons and a president.
Highlanders is now back under one of their own. The club patrons managed to coax Rubber back the long-distance relationship with Ali soured.
Rubber’s return to the fold immediately enervated the team so significantly that like the legendary phoenix, they rose from the ashes and with renewed energy, levitated out of the doldrums into the top 8 of the MTN 2014-25 League with 33 points; three points clear of Ezulwini United at number 9 and two points behind Mbabane Swallows at number seven on the MTN League Log.
The new ambitions of the club are pulpable. While they were in their daze of confusion, they were easily toppled out of the lucrative Ngwenyama Cup tournament by minnows Lozitha Spurs. Rubber’s return has propelled Highlanders back into the power game as a new force for reckoning.
Highlanders are proving so strong that in the closing stanza of the MTN League, they tested their authority against the now unbeatable Nsingizini Hotspurs. They thrashed the soon to be crowned Champions a convincing 2-1 two weeks ago.
But the ghosts of the past are still alive and lurk in the corridors. While the Patrons’ hearts are in the right place with the plan to rekindle the spirit of pride of the Great Mbabane Highlanders champions of yesteryears, the execution is on the tardy side and risks upsetting the applecart. The idea to hold a Gala Dinner to celebrate their heroes and legends as approved at a meeting of the Patrons at their 1952 birthplace, the Swaziland Trade Institute now Eswatini College of Technology however is coming up the familiar fault-lines.
There are already fears that enthusiastic supporters of the celebration are now moving about, mobilizing resources and advocating for the event in ways that suggest Mbabane Highlanders Patrons and its management committee are parallel that can operate independently.
The Management Committee is having none of it. “The President is Bheki “Rubber” Simelane,” declared club PRO Lington Gule. “I was out of the country but now learn that there is a committee that is going around doing things without his authority. The committee has opened a bank account and is selling tickets. We are not opposed to the idea of celebrating our legends, but insist that everyone must follow proper channels.”
Gule confirmed that the new tensions appear to undermine Simelane who is clearly irritated enough to threaten to walk away from the club.
“He is not happy with these developments. We ask that Highlanders’ supporters stand with him. The President and Board of Directors want to arrange a meeting and will set a date when members of the club will be invited to express their views.”
“Until that time, I am the Mbabane Highlanders’ spokesman and anyone that is interested in legitimate information from the club should get that information from me,” said Gule.
Swallows management ready to hand over
Meanwhile at Mbabane Swallows, management of the Premier League giants and popular football club, Mbabane Swallows is up for grabs. Any investor interested in acquiring a strong national soccer brand is welcome to make an offer for ownership of the club.
“We are ready to handover,” declared Mbabane Swallows spokesman Knowledge Bhambo Ngwenya.
The once dominant Mbabane Swallows, similar to their rivals Mbabane Highlanders have been wracked by internal fighting. As the season came to a close, it became common to see fans waving placards demanding their management committee steps down, accusing them of mismanagement.
“We have already committed to handing over at the end of the season. The season is now over. Anyone who wants to take over, …. Please come,” declared Bambo on the radio Sports Show hosted by Moses Matsebula.
Bhambo said the management committee is waiting to handover to a new team to start preparing for the next League season.
Beyond passion, whoever is willing to take over the Swallows brand must have deep pockets. “Running a soccer club is not cheap. Anyone with at least E3 million is welcome,” said Bhambo.
The Birds were recently dropped by their sponsor, Bishop Bheki Lukhele, for almost the same reason that also threaten Highlanders. Lukhele accused the club’s structures of using him as an ATM in that while they were interested in his money, they did not value his opinion.
