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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
HARARE businessman and CAPS United board member for operations Nhamo Tutisani has become the latest shareholder at the Premiership giants after acquiring a significant stake as the Green Machine continues its quest to turn into a professional and viable entity.

CAPS United have been undergoing a massive transformation since Farai Jere acquired a controlling stake and resolved to revive the Green Machine’s fortunes and turn them into the force they were on the domestic front in yesteryears.

Jere secured 80 percent of the CAPS United stake to become the club’s president with Premier Soccer League chairman Twine Phiri retaining 20 percent.

But in another major move that will now trigger some boardroom changes in the CAPS United administration, Jere announced yesterday that he had sold 20 percent of his controlling stake to Tutisani.

The CAPS United president also lauded Tutisani for his commitment to the club’s cause and remained hopeful that the latter would through his share of the Premiership’s stake take his dedication and the club brand to new levels.

In a brief notice to the club’s board chaired by lawyer Lewis Uriri and copied to the other shareholders, Jere said the acquisition of shares by Tutisani would mean he would relinquish his role as board member operations.

“Dear Board, This email serves to advise that Mr Tutisani is a now a new shareholder for CAPS United FC. I sold him 20 percent of my shares.

“This was purely based on his commitment to the club and we want him to be part of this.

“His commitment to CAPS United is undoubted. The new shareholding structure is now as follows:

Farai Jere 60 percent (Club President)

Mr Phiri 20 percent (Club Vice President)

Mr Tutisani 20 percent.

“Mr Tutisani will therefore relinquish his position as a board member operations and someone has to be appointed in the board,’’ said Jere.

Tutisani, who has been part of a vibrant board that includes former club winger Alois Bunjira, Alex Munyaka, Abraham Kawadza and ex-team doctor Modercai Sachikonye, said he had been humbled by the offer to become a CAPS United shareholder.

“Yes, it is a very exciting development but I remain quite wide awake to the challenges. Acquiring the shares is just the beginning of the whole escapade.

“It is a humbling effect from the time when I was a junior player and watching my all-time CAPS United hero Joel Shambo (late),’’ Tutisani said.

Tutisani also paid tribute to former club president Phiri and Jere for inviting him to work within the CAPS United structures.

“I give credit to Twine for accepting to work with us and for Farai to invite me to be part of the shareholders is very humbling. I know that a lot of people would want to be part of the CAPS shareholders and this is a privilege really.

“I also want to thank my fellow board members who have encouraged me and have welcomed this development.

“We are excited by the role played by our technical department and the results have been coming and we have a duty to support them.

“Interacting with the players directly and attending to their needs and problems has also been very exciting,’’ Tutisani said.

Tutisani, however, said he was aware that there were a number of challenges that would continue to confront CAPS United and other Premiership clubs.

“The reality is that the macro-economic fundamentals are not okay and we have to fund raise. As a board we had given ourselves three seasons to turn around the CAPS United fortunes from 2015 and even though I am going onto the shareholders, we should support that board and I will work to the best of my ability to contribute to the vision of the club president and the board.

“We would want to be a successful private company where our core business is playing beautiful football and providing a career path for those employed by CAPS United especially the players and to give justification to our supporters for choosing to support us.

“We are looking at retaining the Cup Kings status including the league championship but for all that to happen it demands hard work and discipline.”

Tutisani also revealed his quest to have CAPS United being one of the clubs that lead the way in exporting players directly to Europe.

“It is my vision that our players should go directly to Europe.

“CAPS United is a private limited company that aims to make profit and satisfy our publics especially the supporters who make a lot of sacrifices for the CAPS United brand.’’

Tutisani said although he was still to be accorded a new role at the club, he was keen to “work harder to help make CAPS United a competitive and attractive brand”.

The Harare businessman said his club also had a duty to help make the domestic Premiership an attractive brand where quality players jostle to take part.

“We have a duty to the PSL to make it a competitive league, make it attractive to quality players, sponsors and TV so that we can pay our players well and create good news for the media to also sell their products.

“Sport and football, in particular, has a unifying factor and a therapeutic effect as seen by the recent successes of the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors and as a club we want to play our role in that regard,’’ Tutisani said.

CAPS United are set to hold a press conference in Harare this morning where a mini-reshuffle of the board could also be announced.