After all, Farai Jere was very right!

CAPS United president Farai Jere

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
ON Monday morning, when I asked about his comments on the Munhumutapa Cup ouster of La Murambinda – a team he finances – Buhera North legislator, Philip Guyo, said: “Those who want to proceed should invest more in match officials”.
It quickly reminded me of how the recent drama at CAPS United unfolded.
Weeks may have passed, but what CAPS United president, Farai Jere, uttered must never be forgotten, if we ever aspire to be a serious football-playing nation.
“Myself as the president, I have never taken my phone and called a player from another club. I don’t do that. That is very unprofessional. And some other people brag about it as if it’s mafia . . . That’s unprofessional behaviour at the highest level. We have never done that, and we are not going to do that at CAPS United,” fumed Jere.
No doubt, this statement, from a highly regarded personality in football and beyond, should have been the springboard for deliberate soul-searching and a stern response from the authorities to the misdemeanours happening in our football.
Who in their right frame of mind would disagree that our football is in deep trouble and needs an honest airing to regain its lost soul?
It is a public secret that so many acts of corruption occur between unscrupulous club owners, referees and players to throw matches.
I appreciate that allegations alone do not establish wrongdoing, but I believe they warrant appropriate scrutiny by the relevant authorities where a breach of ethics is at stake.
I fully understand the importance of evidence when such allegations are proffered, but even at law, the responsibility to gather evidence rests squarely on law enforcement authorities and the state.
In this case, ZIFA, PSL or regional administrators, not the victim.
Once a crime is reported, it becomes the State’s duty to investigate, collect forensic materials, and build a prosecutorial brief.
The State acts as the prosecutor, representing society – clubs and fans – and bears the legal burden of proof.
ZIFA, Premier Soccer League and the four regional football bodies’ office bearers are learned men and women who need no further clarification of this concept.
Instead of troubling those speaking against these vices for more evidence and clarity, the authorities in the game must take it upon themselves to investigate and dig deeper for evidence with the aim of restoring integrity and sanity to the game.
In the aftermath of the Munhumutapa Cup preliminary round fixtures, Pacific Storm Eastern Region chairman, Wisdom Simba, also acknowledged to Post Sport the rot in our football.
“I am told the two teams, Destiny and La Murambinda were unfairly treated by match officials. In future, these matches should be officiated by neutral referees to avoid such occurrences,” said Simba.
Thus Jere and Guyo’s opinions on the state of our football in Zimbabwe are a stark reminder of the things that we need to get right and stop pretending as if we do not see anything.
The “ostrich approach”, also known as the ostrich effect, a cognitive bias where people intentionally ignore negative or uncomfortable information to avoid psychological distress, will not make things better.
Never mind that the CAPS United president came under fire from sections of the football fraternity, including the so-called legends, following the controversial dismissal of goalkeeper, Wallace Magalane, with critics accusing him of unprofessional conduct and poor handling of player matters.
They conveniently ignore the fact that you don’t invest millions to tolerate mediocrity!
It is not a secret that, for years, Jere has been more than just the president of CAPS United. He has been one of the club’s principal financiers, administrators and custodians.
His association with Makepekepe dates back to 2005, when he joined the club’s ownership structure.
Over the years, he gradually assumed a greater financial burden, eventually becoming the majority shareholder and, by all accounts, the man largely responsible for keeping the Green Machine afloat through some difficult periods.
He has been there and has done that. When he opens his mouth, he deserves attention, and the least we expect is to badger such advocates of fair play to provide more evidence when we all know what is happening.
You only need to be Jere or Guyo, or at least put yourself in their shoes, to understand the matrix.
Looking at the current situation in our football, I do not believe the CAPS United president was confused or acting irrationally.
Just like Guyo, I believe they were angry, and many with a conscience can understand why.
Football is a results business.
Where I come from, down in the small farming town of Chipinge, we have an idiom that says: “Nyama yesoro inoda ngeyako”, that can be loosely translated to mean, put yourself in the shoes of the victim to understand the pain.
Heavens help our football!