HIGHLANDS Park are on a clean out campaign with midfielder Enocent Mkhabela and winger Molibedi Mokoena being the latest to exit the club.
The Tembisa club claim to be feeling financial strain as the PSL season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This has led to management releasing striker Tendai Ndoro last week to shed weight on their payroll after they cut his huge salary estimated to have been R100 000 in April. The Zimbabwean striker went home with R20 000 less than usual as part of lockdown-forced budget cuts.
Highlands Park co-director Larry Brookstone told SunSport they have already replaced Ndoro and Mkhabela.
The players contributed less in Owen Da Gama’s coached side prior to the lockdown, giving management no other option but to release them.
Mkhabela played only 107 minutes in five matches in all competition, coming on as a substitute.
The last time he played a competitive match was on 8 January when Highlands lost 3-0 to Kaizer Chiefs in an Absa Premiership match.
Ndoro played a mere nine league games and Mokoena failed to impress while on loan with GladAfrica Championship side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
Said Brookstone: “We released Enocent, Tendai and Molibedi a week ago. They were replaced by Musa Nyatama (joined in February from Orlando Pirates), Rodney Ramagalela (joined in July last year from Polokwane City) who is nearly better (after injury). We won’t replace Molibedi.”
Brookstone revealed finishing the season within the top eight is a realistic target. The Tembisa-based side occupy eighth spot on the log table with 31 points from 24 matches.
“We can’t finish outside the top eight. We always try to finish within the top three and win a cup. We have not done well as we had hoped.”
The PSL season might resume behind closed doors to avoid spreading the virus. But Brookstone is not worried that they could play their home matches on a neutral venue away from their Makhulong slaughterhouse.
“There is nothing we can do (If games are played behind closed doors). We will respect the decision because this is a difficult situation. We respect what the government has done (lockdown).”
