Asiagate: Ethics committee to question people

the Zifa Ethics Committee which is chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ahmed Ebrahim.
Ebrahim’s committee, which was commissioned by Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, has been tasked with conducting hearings for individuals implicated in the Asiagate scam, record evidence from the individuals and pronounce sanctions for individuals in terms of the Fifa and Zifa statutes.
When he officially unveiled the committee in October last year, Zifa president Dube said Justice Ebrahim and his commissioners would provide a platform for players, coaches, administrators and other officials named in the Ndumiso Gumede report with a platform to clear their names.
Zifa vice-president Gumede led a committee that gathered interviews from some people implicated in the national team’s trips to Asia but some people have since questioned the sincerity of the Gumede report.
However, Zifa communications manager Nicky Dhlamini, said the Ethics Committee has gone through the Gumede report.
“Generally there were no major resolutions that were passed since there is going to be another general meeting in March.
“But on the Ethics Committee’s report, they said they have identified the people who should be interviewed to gather more evidence.
“Now that they have identified the people, the process should be starting to call them maybe by the mid-February,” said Dhlamini.
Now that the Ethics Committee has drawn up its calendar of activities, they will now start conducting hearing for individuals as they seek to either exonerate or pronounce sanctions for the individuals in terms of Zifa and Fifa statutes.
Another Zifa commission’s work, dealing with the constitution, is also gathering pace with indications that it would consult across the four regions.
“The Zifa constitution commission will carry an outreach programme to work out the 67 chapters. This outreach requires going around the four regions and this should be done by mid-February again,” said Dhlamini.
The Zifa general assembly, which met on Saturday, also ratified and endorsed the suspension of five board members who are under currently investigations for allegations of corruption and match-fixing.
Zifa vice-president Kenny Marange, Methembe Ndlovu and Solomon Mugavazi were suspended in August last year and the councillors at their general meeting in October endorsed their suspensions.
Gift Banda and Patrick Hokonya, who were later suspended in December, were challenging their suspensions that have since been endorsed by the council.
The Zifa council is the highest decision-making body for football in Zimbabwe.