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Robson Sharuko
Editor
THE contentious amendment to the ZIFA Statutes, which proposes that the association’s president and two vice-presidents must have, at least, FIVE O-Levels, violates a key section of the domestic game’s constitution.
ZIFA Councillors are set to meet on October 18 in Harare.
They will, among other things, discuss the proposed amendments and come up with the statutes which will provide the foundation on which elections for the ZIFA executive committee.
“The president, the vice-president and the other members of the executive committee shall be elected by the Congress in accordance with Art. 31 of these Statutes,” reads the draft ZIFA Statutes.
“They shall undergo an integrity check, to be conducted by the Ethics Committee, prior to their election or re-election
“The president and the two vice presidents of the executive committee shall have passed a minimum of five O-Levels subjects or any equivalent educational level.”
However, it has emerged that this proposed amendment is already in violation of a key pillar of the ZIFA Statutes.
Article 4 of the ZIFA Statutes deals with non-discrimination and equality and reads:
“Discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, disability, language, religion, political opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion and/or other disciplinary measures.”
The key phrases here are “discrimination of any kind,” and “birth or ANY OTHER STATUS,” and, as clearly spelt out by the ZIFA Statutes, this is not allowed.
Therefore, against that background, it can be assumed that:
- Someone without, at least, five O-Level passes can argue that the proposed amendment discriminates against him or her, especially against his or her status that he or she does not have the academic qualifications.
- Those who came up with the proposal to include five O-Levels, when it comes to the candidature of the ZIFA president and his or her two vice-presidents, did not do their homework correctly and did not realise that their proposal was in conflict with Article 4.
- If one does not need a certain level of formal education to become FIFA president, and this provision is not reflected in the FIFA Statutes, doesn’t that put the ZIFA Statutes on a collision course with the FIFA Statutes?
- Doesn’t the FIFA Statutes, in Article 4, also outlaw “discrimination of any kind on account of…wealth, birth or any other status,” and also make it clear that those who violate this will be punished “by suspension or expulsion?”
- Doesn’t FIFA also make it clear in their Statutes that even Confederations, like CAF, have to make it clear that there is no room for discrimination in any form whatsoever?
- Would it make sense that a former Zimbabwean footballer would, for instance, be eligible to be CAF president, because educational background is not an issue there, but be ineligible to be ZIFA president or vice-president?
Tapuwa Kapini
This proposal has been heavily criticised by some former Warriors who feel that it is targeted towards them to try and bar them from seeking the biggest office in domestic football.
Former Warriors captain Willard Katsande, Cephas Chimedza and Tapuwa Kapini have hit out at the proposed amendment.
They said many former players, who did not complete their O ‘Level examinations because they were concentrating on their football, should not be discriminated against if they choose to battle for the ZIFA presidency.
The ex-Warriors also argued that successive ZIFA leaders, including some who had doctorates, failed to lead the national association and dragged it into an abys in the past four decades.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter