HARARE - The legal battle between former Zimbabwe football captain Peter Ndlovu and his former employer, Twalumba Holdings, began at the High Court in Harare yesterday.

Ndlovu, who is walking with the aid of crutches after a deadly car crash that claimed the life of his brother Adam in December, is demanding $55 000 from Twalumba or a suburban house promised to him as part of his signing-on package when he joined Highfield United, a lower division club owned by the company in 2011.

The country’s most capped player and record goal-scorer made headlines when he came out of retirement and signed for Highfield at the beginning of 2011, completing what was billed, at that time, to be a grand return to Zimbabwean domestic football after spending 13 years in England and four more seasons with Mamelodi Sundowns and Thanda Royal Zulu in South Africa.

Under terms of the agreement, Highfield immediately loaned out Ndlovu to top-flight side Black Mambas, which had a twinning arrangement with Twalumba, with plans to revert to being a Highfield player when the team gained Premiership status.

Although Twalumba kept on paying his wages at the time based on the contract the two parties signed, Ndlovu’s comeback would turn out to be an anti-climax with the former national side skipper featuring in just two games for Mambas, coming on as a late substitute on both occasions before disappearing from the scene in unclear circumstances.

Twalumba is believed to have terminated Ndlovu’s contract in July 2011 on allegations of breach of contract.

The trial began yesterday before High Court judge Mary Zimba-Dube.

Ndlovu, who is represented by family lawyer Harrison Nkomo, yesterday told the court that when he went into agreement with Twalumba Holdings, he was supposed to get $55 000 as signing on fees or a house in Harare of the same value.

The former Warriors skipper, who turns 40 this month, said he was entitled to the money soon after appending his signature on the contract form.

“They said they will pay me. I am like family with Twalumba since we all come from Binga.

“We had more business to do (together) and I trusted that they will eventually pay me.

“All I want is for them to fulfill the agreement that we entered into,” said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu, who played for Coventry City, Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United in the UK before returning to the continent in 2004 to join Sundowns, was capped 100 times by Zimbabwe and scored a record 38 goals for the national side.

Representing Twalumba, Pardon Makuwaza said Ndlovu had entered into a partnership agreement with Twalumba to develop football in the country, not as a player.

The trial continues today. - Tendai Kamhungira