to be held on

Wednesday 22^nd OCTOBER 2025

in the lower Lang bar

at 5.30 p.m.

AGENDA

1. Welcome and Notices
2. Adoption of Minutes of AGM held on 23rd October 2024
3. Treasurer’s Report
4. President’s Report
5. Proposed Amendments to the Constitution
6. Honorary Life Members
7. General Committee – Election of Committee Members 2025-26
8. Trustees – Election of Trustee 2025-2028
9. Auditor – appointment for 2025-2026
10. Any Other Business

All members welcome, but please note that only members who have paid subscriptions for 2025-2026 may vote.

Sean Johnson, Secretary (secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz)

04 September

Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to our new members who have joined since the last newsletter (many months ago): Naledi Koko, Kiara Allen, Muzi Shongwe, Sidumo & Lindelwa Mdladla, Albert Mavuso, Alfred Adams, Lunga Mavimbela, Fion De Vletter, George Wachira, Vusie Gama, Thabo Dlamini, Wandile Maduna, Sinead Motsa, Xiong Zhu, Aidan Motsa, Willard Mavhu, Bongani Nkambule, Sibusiso & Nomcebo Mnisi, Bongani Mabuza, Sanele Lukhele, Mlandvo Dlamini, Lwati Dvuba, Nonhlanhla Ntandane, Bongani Masuku, Mncedici Mkhonta, Mancoba Mndzebele, Xoliswa Dlamini, Njabulo Gamedze, Bandzile Dlamini, Petros Mashwama, Lungelo Sihlongonyane, Sanele Shongwe, Bongekile Tsabedze, Li Snow, Sandziso Kunene, Malusi Nxumalo, Mamoteare Makara, Lungile Dlamini, Mzwandile Vilakati, Bongani Shabangu, Vusi Ngcamphalala, Jonathan Jele, Noncedo Methula, Muhammad & Iqra Aamir, Mlamuli Mabuza, Nkhululeko Shongwe, Senzosenkosi Khumalo, Sabelo Motsa, Wethu Vilakati, and  6 others whose applications are still in process.

Announcements

• Subscription payments are now due, and invoices will be emailed in the next few days. The amount for each category has, once again, remained the same as last year, and this is the tenth year in a row that subscriptions have not increased. However, with new developments coming, and increased costs – especially our municipal rates bill that has risen nearly 50% in the past two years – subscriptions are likely to increase next year. But this year, they remain at E3,400 for family members, E1,975 for single members; subs for other member categories and how to pay are given below. Many thanks to those of you who have already paid.
• The end of our financial year also means that the Club’s Annual General Meeting is not long away and will be held on Wednesday 15 October 2025. Before then each sports section will hold their annual meetings and elect a representative to serve on the General Committee. Notices will be sent out in due course and posted on the notice boards.

News

Small improvements here and there continue to be made – new tabletops for the Lang bar, a new lawn laid next to the tennis courts – and more improvements are on the way, such as new windows and improved lighting in the Lang bar.

An exciting new development will be the construction of a Padel Tennis court, and if resources permit, redevelopment of the basketball court into a multipurpose sport court, and an extension to the outside veranda on the north side of the clubhouse.

Another possible improvement requires members’ input. In what is now the conference/meeting room there was once a snooker/billiard table. The table was put into storage 10+ years ago and for many years the room hire fee went to the Club’s management company; for the last 4 years the Club has received some income for hire of the room – for the year just ended a total of E2,550, E0 the year before, and E2,475 in 2022-23. The conference room is also used once or twice a month by the Club’s committees and by some members. Should the room revert to being used for snooker/billiards there would be zero income for the Club, because, as with all sports sections, fees for the use of the facility cover the costs and maintenance of that facility. However, the snooker/billiard table would be an asset for use by club members, particularly older members who do not play more active sports, and the table may attract some new members. When the change happened, a petition was signed by 67 members to keep the snooker/billiard table, but that was over 10 years ago, and the General Committee would like to know what members’ think now about changing the use of the conference room back to snooker/billiards. Please answer the question “Do you support keeping the room as a conference room or do you support turning the room back into a snooker/billiard room?” by clicking the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HH7Q5ND

Thank you!

Sports

• Golf. We are pleased to report that the Club and the Municipal Council of Mbabane have agreed a new 10-year lease for the golf course for an annual rent of E1,000. The condition, as before, is that the course is also open space for public use.
• Tennis. Social Tennis Tournament on Saturday 13 September from 9am, for players aged 30+. Entry is E100. See poster on the notice board for sign up details. A relaxed, fun day on court!
• Squash. Court 1 renovation completed and back in use, and great job done!

Miscellany

Please sign up to join the Club’s WhatsApp group to receive announcements. You can join by sending a request to ‘Mbabane Club Members’ or secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz.

For subscription payments, by EFT to: First National Bank, Branch 281264 (Corporate Place, Mbabane), Account 62579153512, Account name Mbabane Club, reference membership number and/or surname, first name.

Subscriptions for 2025/26 are: Ordinary family members E3,400, ordinary single E1,975, country family E2,500, country single E1,350, senior family E1,200, senior single E800, young adult single 800, international family E1,200, international single E800.

For any questions, suggestions, complaints etc., please email secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz

For further information about the club, its history, governance, finances, etc., please visit mbabaneclub.co.sz

Draft annual financial statement for 2023/24 will appear here before the AGM

Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to our many new members who have joined since December last year:

Mangaliso MasilelaMbali MabuzaSinakekelwe MaileniMusa MotsaZenele SibandzeNkosimayibuse MavusoSandile Mdlovu Ayanda MyeniJames ToddStanislav DembinskiGeorge and Gita WelchAlexander MartinsLindani DlaminiNomvuyo HlopheSkhile KhumaloCollin Malaza

Steven MalingaMusa and Waheeda Masinga Gcina MatsebulaPhil MnisiBeloved & Nomhle MupfururirwaSiboniso NkambuleThabiso NzuzaJeff Pennington & Alice ZwerlingWandile ThwalaNega GebreyesusSimilo KhumaloLynn  KotaZolile Shabangu & Mpheyfo ShabalalaGrace Hansen & Christopher WallHloniphile Simelane

We now have 331 members.

Announcements

• Membership cards and parking discs for 2023-24 are still available for you to collect at reception. For new members there are blank cards, and your membership number can be found on the member’s list pinned to the notice board or online at https://mbabaneclub.co.sz/members-area/members/. Please carry your card because you may occasionally be asked to show it.

Events

• Wednesday 27 March 2024 – Quiz Night hosted by Peter Dixon. Test your general knowledge. Teams of four. Supper available. Starts at 7pm. Contact Sarah Dixon on 7645 1495 to enter.
• Friday 12 April – Karaoke party night. From 6pm with happy hour complimentary snack. Come along and sing your heart out!

Sports

• Golf. Regular Friday Leg of Lamb and Saturday competitions. Contact the golf captain Moses Masilela by WhatsApp on 7631 3177 for entries.
• Tennis. Regular social tennis every Saturday from 2.30pm.
• Squash. During popular times – Monday to Thursday 5-7pm – remember to book your slot, because the courts are getting busier.
• Gym. Members are eligible for a 30% discount on gym fees.

Club Management

For the benefit of our many new members and as a reminder to all, here is a summary of how the club operates. The club is owned by its members and run as a non-profit organization. There is a General Committee responsible for the management of the club who are overseen by a Board of Trustees. Day-to-day management is carried out by a private company that leases the Millin Restaurant and the gym. All staff are employed by the management company who pay utility costs and operate and retain the profits from the bar. The sporting facilities are managed by members and a small additional fee is charged for the use of sports facilities, except the swimming pool, for maintenance purposes. Our main outgoings are property rates, insurance, maintenance, and capital improvements.

Capital Improvements

Improvements to club facilities are long overdue, and now that we are back on a stable financial footing (see the chart at https://mbabaneclub.co.sz/members-area/financial/), various improvements are being planned. These include further re-upholstery of furniture, painting, and renovation of the bar area. The feasibility of installing a padel tennis court is currently being explored. Major capital projects are not envisaged until such time as we have clarity from Mbabane City Council about their plans for redevelopment of the Prince of Wales field and Coronation Park and what this may mean for the club site.

Miscellany

That’s it for now, and nothing to report about the relocation of the golf course because we haven’t heard back from the city council about this, but we have heard from them about our objection to the 36% increase in our rates bill, and a meeting is being arranged.

Please sign up to join the Club’s WhatsApp group to receive announcements. You can join via a request to ‘Mbabane Club Members’.

Most/many members have now joined our new WhatsApp community where announcements and news will be posted from time-to-time. However, if you didn’t join using the link sent in the last news email but instead requested to join directly within WhatsApp and your request was rejected, or after joining you were removed from the community, this is because…

1. We do not have your mobile phone number in our database and your WhatsApp profile does not say who you are, or
2. You have not renewed your membership subscriptions, or we don’t have a record of your renewal, or
3. You are not a member of the Mbabane Club.

If you are a member and wish to join the community but can’t, then please send an email to secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz and we’ll fix it. Many thanks for your understanding.

Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to our new members¹:

Vusi Sambo Samkeliso Simelane Excellent Gwebu

Waheed Chaudhry Elkan Makhanya Lawrence Nsibandze

Events

AGM. The Annual General Meeting was held on the 24th of October 2023 and attended by 48 members. The minutes of last year’s AGM and the financial statement for 2022-23 were approved, and both can be found on the club’s website. Members reappointed or elected the following General Committee members for 2023-24:

• President – Ali Resting
• Vice President – Lean Drinkwater
• Secretary – Sean Johnson
• Treasurer – George Nisbet
• Lady Member – Gcebile Zwane
• Gentleman Member – Mongi Dlamini

In addition, Theo Mason was reappointed a Trustee for a further 3-year term.

In recognition of 50 years of continuous membership of the Club, Mr & Mrs Martin Forsyth-Thompson and Mrs & Mrs Alec Taylor were elected as Honorary Life Members.

Congratulations to you all!

Announcements

Newsletters usually include announcements of upcoming events, information, etc. But some members don’t have email, and some don’t read or receive their emails. To improve member communication a WhatsApp Community, called Mbabane Club Members, has been created. Members are encouraged to join to receive announcements and notices such as the impending change to the door and gate keypad codes. You can join either searching for ‘Mbabane Club Members’ and requesting to join or send an email to secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz.

Keypad Access

If you use the keypad either on the main door or the lower carpark gate, please be advised that the code will be changed tomorrow, Wednesday 1st November. The code will change to…

1470#

Please do not share the code with non-members. It will change again soon, so please sign up to the WhatsApp Mbabane Club community to receive updates.

Membership Subscriptions

Many thanks to all of you that have paid your subs! We are hoping that those who haven’t will soon do so and continue to be a member of our growing community.

Miscellany

That’s it for now. More in the next newsletter about the relocation of the golf course and other developments and events.

^{1. Applications for membership are approved by the committee every month provided that no objections from members are received. If you are a new member, and your name is not listed, you will probably be included in the next batch.}

Mbabane Club

September 2023 News

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new Club Year. Yes, that means it’s Subscriptions Time again! But more about that later……

Firstly, a warm welcome goes out to our new members:

Tapiwa Chilipane Sandile Mcanyane Kethani Dlamini Melusi Dlamini Stephen Mavuso

Chihou Wang Ellen Horlebein Vulindlela Kunene Nhlanhla Mtsetfwa Mxolisi Magagula Sandra Kwok Choon

Events

• Rugby World Cup on the big screen at the Club! Watch the rugby at the Club and enjoy the banter and excitement of the crowd! Everything kicks off this coming Friday 8th September at the Club with…
• The Annual General Meeting will be held before the end of October on a date to be advised. Before the end of this month each sports section will be holding its annual general meeting, dates also to be advised.

Club Facilities

Improvements continue to be made with a new lounge couch recently delivered.   More improvements are in the pipeline.

In case you missed it, there is now Wi-Fi available at the Club. Ask the bar staff for details.

Pickleball

Has arrived! Tennis court #2 now has lines marked out for pickleball. In case you haven’t heard, pickleball is the is a new, fun, social and friendly, sport that is played with a paddle or bat on a scaled down tennis court. The rules are simple, and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game.

The game can be played by two or four players. Bats and ball are available at the club (ask the bar staff) and the court fee is E60 for an hour. Give it a try!

The rules and some tips on how to play can be found at usapickleball.org.

Membership Subscriptions

Club membership continues to grow! To keep it that way, we encourage everyone to renew their membership for 2023-24 and to encourage others to join and make use of the sporting and social facilities that we have to offer.  With your continued support and a growing membership, our facilities will continue to improve!

Our financial year has just ended, on 31 August, and membership subscriptions of the next year are now due. And despite rising costs, we have maintained the subscription amounts. These are:

• Ordinary          Family            3,400               
• Ordinary          Single             1,975               
• Country            Family            2,500               
• Country            Single             1,500               
• Senior               Single             800   
• Senior               Family            1,200               
• Young Adult   Single             800

As agreed by members at last years’ AGM, the sports member category is no more. It was removed to bring equality and inclusivity to our membership structure, with all members now allowed to vote at general meetings and serve on club committee. It also simplifies things. However, those who were sports members last year will receive invoices for ordinary single memberships.

Subscription invoices will be emailed soon, and a printed copy will be available for collection at the reception desk. Subscriptions should be paid before the AGM at the end of October.

Reminder – there is no sports member category, and all subs must be paid at the main club and not at the golf clubhouse. Thanks.

Sports Sections

In golf news, we have written to the Mbabane Municipal Council asking for an extension to our lease for the golf course. A reply was received saying that the Council is considering our request with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development. In due course they will let us know, but indications are that, although some of the land has been re-zoned and earmarked for commercial development, an extension might be forthcoming.

Miscellany

Property Rates – we also received a letter from the Mbabane Municipal Council about an increase in our property tax or rates bill. It went up from E85,156 p.a. to E116,298 p.a., a whopping 36% increase! Admittedly, not as big an increase that some rate payers are facing but nevertheless a substantial amount for us with our limited income. We have, of course, written to the Council objecting to the increase and enquiring about the reasons for it. We are also seeking a discount because the Club is a non-profit making, community-based organisation. No response from them yet. We will keep you informed – because after all the Club is owned by you, the members – and what impact the increase may have on subscription fees next year.

For sale – a variable height workstation, enabling you to stand or sit to work at your desk. The Varidesk Pro Plus 30 can help relieve back pain and other issues by moving more and sitting less at work. In excellent condition. Still boxed. Yours for E6,000. Call Sean Johnson on 7688 9962 or email segrjo@gmail.com.

mbabaneclub.co.sz |info@mbabaneclub.co.sz | secretary@mbabaneclub.co.sz

74th AGM minutes of last year’s AGM