LEGENDARY former Dynamos goalkeeper Japhet Mparutsa has blasted a faction of ex-DeMbare players who are fighting for a controlling stake in the club.
Ex-Dembare player Ernest Kamba is leading a group of former players, including club legends like Laban Kandi, David George and Moses Chunga among others in a battle against current board chairperson Bernard Marriot, for the ownership of the Harare giants.
However, Mparutsa who won the 1982 Soccer Star of the Year with Dynamos, insists DeMbare belongs to the members who founded the club back in 1963.
Marriot is the only surviving member of that exclusive group which also had the likes of the late Patrick Dzvene, Richard Chiminya, Josiah Akende, Danny Yaledi, Lameck Mlambo, Obediah Sarupinda, Allan Hlatshwayo, Freddy Mukwesha, Jairon Banda and Nathan Maziti among others.
“We are all former Dynamos players. Some of us came through the club’s junior development while others joined the team from other clubs.
“And just like everywhere else in the football world, other players went on to pursue their careers at different clubs,” Mparutsa who is now based in the United Kingdom told the Daily News on Sunday.
“My understanding is that Dynamos is now a company which makes me wonder why the former players come and just apply to work for their former club rather than fighting for the ownership of the club.
“It’s clear that ownership of Dynamos belongs to the 1963 founding guys. They are the owners of Dynamos not all of us. I played for the Dynamos juniors then went on to join Black Rhinos and ended up in South Africa at Bloemfontein Celtic.
“The same applies to Kamba, he is a Dynamos legend, he played for the club before he left to play for Hardware Stars in Malawi. Kamba even played for Malawi national team.
“Kamba just like many of us is a club legend but that does not give him right to claim a stake of ownership for the club.
“Why is he not fighting for ownership of Hardware Stars in Malawi? Why Dynamos? What document is he using to claim ownership of Dynamos?
“There are several former Dynamos players out there but that does not give them entitlement to the ownership of the club? Of course, Dynamos gave me the name but it does not give me the right to become the club owner.”
Mparutsa queried the wisdom of the selected few former players to target only the ownership of Dynamos when they also featured for other different clubs.
“What interests me is why all other former players are not coming to claim a stake. Why is it Kamba and some few others are the only ones fighting for the ownership of the club. Are they the only ones who played for Dynamos?,” queried Mparutsa.
“Any person in his normal senses knows very well that being a former player does not give you shares to own a club.
“What will happen to the current generation then? Should they also go on and fight for the club when they finally hang their boots?’’
Mparutsa, who also played for the army side Black Rhinos before he moved to South Africa’s Celtic said instead of wasting their energy fighting for the ownership of the club, these former players must use their experience to help the club develop.
“It’s very simple, if one feels he can help for the development of the club in any capacity just apply for the job. Look at a person like Pasuwa, he played for Dynamos, came back to become a coach and has since left and is now in Malawi,” he said.
“So, should he be seen fighting for the ownership of the club?
“That is exactly what we need at Dynamos. He will probably even come back in the future to contribute towards the success of the club.
“Imagine someone like Makwinji Soma Phiri seen fighting for the ownership of the club when we all know his roots.
“He came to Dynamos as a player from Highlanders. Like, seriously, how can he claim ownership of the club? It doesn’t make sense?
“What is his claim to ownership at Dynamos? We all know he started at Bosso juniors, why can’t he go and claim ownership also at Highlanders? People are forgetting that Dynamos has a lot of former players and more are still to come so can they all claim ownership?”
Mparutsa said these former players must do the respectable thing and respect the 1963 constitution.
“The 1963 constitution is clear. It speaks of players and officials who existed then not us who came and left the club. These former players should actually seek for employment and stop this nonsense of fighting for the ownership of the club.’’
There have been perennial fights over the control of the country’s most successful club with Dynamos Private Limited currently the owners of the institution through shareholding.
The club’s sponsors Sakunda Holdings are also playing a facilitatory role to bring all parties to the table in a bid to end the problems.