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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
BLACK Rhinos will continue paying full salaries to their players although they won’t be performing their contractual duties due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other teams in the top-flight, and lower leagues, have been negotiating for wage cuts with their employees as they are not making any money.

The start of the 2020 domestic football season has been put on hold. But the army side have decided against cutting wages for both their staff.

Rhinos’ secretary-general, Edward Mutukwa, said his team feel obliged to honour contractual obligations with their employees.

“This is a disaster which has befallen the world. No-one really predicted its coming. We thought by now the 2020 season would be underway but here we are,’’ he said.

‘‘We are under lockdown and the players are training at home individually.

“We have contracts with these players, they are at home with their families and they need our support. We will pay them as per our contracts with them.

‘‘We haven’t come to a point where we need to reduce their earnings. They are already disavantaged as they won’t be receiving a lot in terms of allowances, including camping and travel, among others.

“We have to keep the players motivated. Maybe, when the worst comes to the worst, we will reconsider the position but, as of now, we will be paying the players their full salaries.”

All Premiership players, including those at Rhinos, are counting the costs of the two-month suspension to the start of the 2020 season.

This means they are losing on travel, camping, appearance fees, winning bonuses and other miscellaneous allowances.

The soldiers have drafted 19 new players into their fold with the support of their football-loving patron Absalom Chimonyo, who is also the Commander Zimbabwe National Army.

While the team lost their captain, Wellington Taderera, to Ngezi Platinum Stars, defenders Tafadzwa Jaravani     and Jameson Mukombwe, who were three of their best stars last season, they have shipped in equally good replacements.

Former Mushowani Stars livewire winger Aylon Chikwengwere and Chelsea Nyakope have since been registered by the army side.

The ex-Dynamos pair of Tawanda Macheke and Edgar Mhungu are now also part of coach Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa’s charges.

Midfielder, Nesbert Padzarondora, who was with newly-promoted side Cranborne Bullets, also makes a return to the team which gave him fame.