PSL rise to the occasion

Langton Nyakwenda

PREMIER Soccer League governors believe the flagship league should play a pivotal role in determining the future of football in the country.

The governors have been instrumental in pushing for a ZIFA extraordinary congress, which could revoke the mandate of the association’s executive.

Of the 27 ZIFA councillors who called for the extra ordinary congress, which has now been slated for January 29, 14 are PSL members including the big three clubs Dynamos, Highlanders and CAPS United.
The governors are adamant time is nigh for the elite league to take a leading role in resolving problems facing the game.

Zimbabwean football is in a crisis following the suspension of the ZIFA Board by the Sports and Recreation Commission over allegations of mismanagement of the game.

The ZIFA Board faces a myriad of allegations including failure to account for public funds, sexual abuse of female referees, and failure to develop football at the grassroots.

The saga took a twist just before the New Year when FIFA directed the SRC to reinstate the ZIFA Board by January 3, or the country would face sanctions from the world governing body.

January 3 has since passed, the ZIFA Board is yet to be reinstated and FIFA are yet to take action. Instead, 27 ZIFA councillors have taken matters into their hands and are calling for an extraordinary congress which could revoke the mandate of the suspended ZIFA Board.

The suspended Board has dismissed the process as unconstitutional, but PSL governors are convinced the extraordinary congress is above board.

“The Zifa Executive Committee would like to inform the family of football in Zimbabwe that the purported invitation by Mr Xolisani Gwesela to Zifa Congress Delegates to attend Zifa Extraordinary Congress set for 29 January 2022 is null and void and contrary to the Association’s constitution.

“The ZIFA Board remains committed to implementing all football programmes in strict adherence to the current Zifa constitution, including how EGMs are convened and conducted.

“It is critically important that any EGM must be approved or convened by the Zifa Executive Committee according to Section 28 of the Zifa constitution.

“Such powers are only transferable from the Board, if the Board fails to conduct the EGM within 90 working days from the date of a bonafide legitimate request. “At the moment the 90 working days have not lapsed, so as to suggest that the Board has failed to convene the purported meeting.

“In fact, the Board still awaits confirmation and verification of the authenticity of such a request through a letter to the 27 delegates that was sent by the substantive Zifa General Secretary under instruction from the legitimate Zifa board,” wrote the suspended Board in a statement on Friday.

However, the 27 councillors want the suspended ZIFA Board to answer to these allegations at an extraordinary meeting that has been set for January 29 in Harare.

Harare City chairman, Alois Masepe, contends that the councillors who called for the extraordinary Congress acted within their constitutional rights.

“The ZIFA Councillors that petitioned the ZIFA Secretariat to convene an Extraordinary Congress are acting within their constitutional mandate.

“The ZIFA constitution is very clear that one-third of the Congress membership can petition for the convening of an Extraordinary Congress,” said Masepe.

“It goes even further to state that, if the ZIFA Executive Committee fails to convene the requested Extraordinary Congress, the petitioners themselves can convene the Extraordinary Congress.

“In this particular instance, the petitioners meet the one third threshold, and the ZIFA Secretariat has agreed to convene the Extraordinary Congress.

“Accordingly, the constitutional provisions and due process relating to the convening of a ZIFA Extraordinary Congress have been followed so far.

“What remains to be done is the formulation of the specific Agenda for the Extraordinary Congress.
“The agenda must clearly define the purpose and objective of the Extraordinary Congress, and it must be circulated to the ZIFA Councillors 14 days before the date of the Extraordinary Congress,” said the veteran football administrator.

Masepe has been spearheading the drive for PSL clubs’ involvement in resolving problems facing the game.

“I’m happy that the key stakeholders in football have awoken from hibernation, and showing some focus,” he said.

“I have incessantly, over the years, called for a robust involvement of the key football stakeholders, particularly the PSL, in solving the problems facing football in this country.

“However, there was a flawed tendency and attitude that seemed to suggest that handling football challenges was the responsibility of the SRC.

“It was a wrong attitude. The football stakeholders and organs should be robust enough to administer their affairs within the parameters of the ZIFA Congress, CAF and FIFA.

“The SRC is a sports regulating authority and not an administrator of football.

“It has, however, been compelled to get involved, sucked into football domestic issues thanks to the truancy, docility and dysfunctionality of the key football organs,” said Masepe.

Black Rhinos secretary, Edward Mutukwa, said the extraordinary meeting could be the turning point to the ongoing saga. “It’s now an issue of survival tactics, and the constitution is the winner in this case,” he said.

“The embattled ZIFA Board is cornered, fighting for breathing space.

“The councillors or the electorate is also fighting for its survival, because it does not want to sink with the former,” said Mutukwa.

A PSL governor who preferred anonymity blasted the suspended ZIFA Board members for “only thinking of themselves at the expense of football stakeholders.”

“The ZIFA Board is only there to serve its own purpose, forgetting they have stakeholders. In fact, the Board is taking the stakeholders for granted,” said the governor.

He added: “The PSL being the flagship of professional football must play a pivotal role in football decisions and development.

“The biggest investment is done by PSL clubs and hence their interest is in seeing things being done right for the development of the game.”