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Sports Reporter
FORMER Premiership champions Zimbabwe Saints are set to rise from the dead with the help of investors who have shown interest to acquire shares in the Bulawayo club.

Chauya Chikwata collapsed three years ago due of financial challenges, but the club’s former players and stakeholders have stepped up efforts to resuscitate one of the country’s oldest football institutions.

According to minutes from a recent meeting chaired by one of the clubs’ directors, the legendary Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo, the club’s stakeholders reached a consensus they should revisit the idea of community ownership.

Club chairman Columbus Makumbe, who excused himself from the meeting, yesterday confirmed that the club was on a revival path.

The shareholders accepted and confirmed that the club’s revival can only be achieved through a shareholding route process.

They also agreed that there was need for a step by step process to revive and rebuild the Saints brand, which has been in existence for the past 87 years. The chairman was tasked to set up an interim committee to help rebuild the club.

The meeting was attended by several club members who included Vincent Pamire, Gibson Homela, Martin Mabvira, Lazarus Magwaro, Cleto Mapfumo, Ambrose Boora and Innocent Kurwa.

“The chairman Mr Makumbe sent his apologies as he failed to attend and had asked Mr Muguyo to chair the meeting and explain what is expected.

“He explained that the young people in and outside the country, especially those based in the UK, want to help to get the club back. In reply to what authority the chairman called the shareholder’s meeting, it was explained that Mr Makumbe and Mr Muguyo were given letters of appointment as directors.

“The chairman advised that there are people who want to invest their money in the club, but only through a shareholding process. The shareholders present discussed the pros and cons of the shareholding route vis-a-vis the community ownership route.

“Mr Pamire proposed to follow and continue this route after Mr Muguyo had explained its success when the club played in Division One earlier in the new millennium. Mr Kurwa seconded the proposal and members passed the motion by consensus.”