HARARE – Premier Soccer League clubs on Sunday elected CAPS United chairman Farai Jere as their chairman.

Jere, who defeated his Triable United rival Lovemore Matikinyidze, prevailed with nine votes to the latter’s seven. Herentals and ZPC Kariba arrived late for the meeting and did not vote.

He replaces former Highlanders chairman Peter Dube, whose term ran out while he was serving a suspension imposed by ZIFA.

While canvassing for votes, Jere announced ambitious plans to acquire assets for the PSL, including buildings.

“PSL is renting offices in Bulawayo and there’s cheap land. Why are we not motivated to build our own infrastructure? Look at the Premier League in South Africa, Botswana or Namibia. Look at their offices and those of the Zimbabwe PSL in Eastlea, Harare. It’s an eyesore. PSL is being operated like a briefcase business, but we talk about club licensing,” he said after a trip to Bulawayo.

He added: “Highlanders have better infrastructure than the PSL and to me there’s no professionalism without infrastructure development. We can’t have a league run by a fixture as if we’ve got competition officers in the office.

We just come up with a fixture, we manage it up to the end of the year, but our balance sheet is very weak.

“We need to leave a legacy as a generation. If I’m given this tenure for four years, I want to make sure we leave a legacy by having infrastructure. Why are the guys in office for a long time not moved by infrastructure development?

“They don’t even care about it because at the end of the day if they get their salaries and allowances they don’t care.”

Jere also said he wanted an audit of the PSL books, but denied that this was a witch-hunt targeting CEO Kennedy Ndebele, who did not support Jere’s campaign.

“I’m a team player and if any of the employees, including Ndebele, wants to be part of a team that takes the league to its rightful place, then I’m ready to walk hand-in-hand with him.

“When I talk of auditing the PSL books, it’s not a witch hunt but a way of seeking to understand the league, its strengths, weaknesses and the opportunities available.”

He also wants a harmonious relationship with ZIFA, and says this may require an amendment of statutes so the two bodies’ areas of control do not overlap.