A crumbling empire

Sports Reporter—
THE Messenger of Court yesterday raided the business premises of ZIFA board member (finance) Ben Gwarada on a mission to attach property over a debt related to the Warriors’ trip to Egypt for a 2014 World Cup qualifier last year. Gwarada’s LED Travel was the agency used by ZIFA to issue air tickets, about a year before he was voted onto the association’s board, for the Warriors to travel to Cairo for a game that was played in Alexandria.
The Pharaohs won that match 2-1.

A $53 000 loan was acquired from FBC Bank to cover the cost of the tickets, with the ZIFA Trust underwriting the transaction and the chairman of the Trust, Tshinga Dube, providing the security.

This followed a presentation made by ZIFA officials that they would pay back the loan through some earnings they were expecting into their coffers, over a period of time, which would be enough to dissolve the loan and leave the travel agency’s account in the black.

Twenty thousand dollars, from the earnings generated by the Warriors during the 2013 CHAN finals where they went all the way to the semi-finals, and received $250 000, was paid towards the dissolution of the loan, leaving a remainder of $32 000.

But, along the way, the commitments to pay back the remainder of the loan were not met and a payment plan, which was drafted after the bank started raising issues that the loan was not being serviced as initially agreed, was not followed.

The travel agency, which is in a good financial position, were not prepared to use their funds to offset a loan that belonged to ZIFA and their Trust and to effectively pay the cost of the Warriors’ travel to Egypt.

But it appears that the travel agency is not being spared, as the bank moves in to try and recover its dues, and the Messenger of Court arrived at the LED Tours and Travel business complex yesterday morning on a mission to attach movable property, including vehicles and buses.

However, the company’s officials queried why they should be made to pay for a debt that was underwritten by the ZIFA Trust.
The ZIFA Trust has not been operational since the Warriors completed their disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign in which they finished bottom of the table, with just two points to their credit, after losing four of their six matches and failing to win even a single tie.

A LED official confirmed to The Herald yesterday that officials from the Messenger of Court spent the better part of the day camped at their offices.
Gwarada, who is now the ZIFA official in charge of the association’s finances, later told The Herald that he paid $3 500 yesterday towards the servicing of the loan with a commitment for a further payment, in the coming days, to open a window that will enable him to engage his fellow ZIFA board members and ZIFA Trust members.

“We have all made some bad decisions in our businesses at some point,” Gwarada told The Herald.
“But what is important is how this is going to be resolved. I’m meeting (ZIFA) President (Cuthbert) Dube later to discuss the issue.

“If you want further information he (Dube) is the best person to contact.”
ZIFA have been struggling to contain their debts, as they spiral out of control, in recent weeks.

Last Friday, the Messenger of Court attached property at ZIFA House for a debt owed to former communications officer Nicky Dhlamini.
The property was attached just a week after the same Sheriff also attached some property of the association at the ZIFA Village, which included the goal post and artificial turf, which were provided by FIFA as part of efforts to develop Zimbabwe football.

Part of the property attached, under case number HC169/14 at ZIFA House, included some chairs, tables, soccer jerseys and stockings.
The Messenger of Court promised to return yesterday to take the property for auction.

Dhlamini claimed that she was unfairly dismissed and the arbitrator awarded her $88 000.