adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
FORMER Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya and player agent Kudzi Shaba are set to face the music over Asiagate match fixing allegations once again following allegations Rushwaya was involved in another match fixing scam that reportedly influenced the outcome of football games in neighbouring South Africa. Zifa are in the process of hauling Rushwaya and Shaba to a disciplinary process over the recent scandal that broke out three weeks ago and the mother body has seen it fit to recharge the two despite a reprieve for the Asiagate accused handed out early this year.
Rushwaya and Shaba had been handed life bans by the Ahmed Ebrahim Ethics Committee that had been set up by the previous Zifa administration led by Cuthbert Dube. Zifa’s legal advisor Itai Ndudzo said unrepentant match-fixers will face charges relating to Asiagate as they had not been acquitted but had been handed a goodwill gesture by the association in lifting the bans.
He said the previous process had been bungled by the Dube administration but they now wanted to follow the correct procedures to ensure the bans are endorsed by the world football body Fifa.
“The Dube process was bungled because the correct procedure was not followed meaning it is within our rights to revisit those charges and follow the laid down rules through which those guilty of match fixing would be punished accordingly. Those who we are preferring charges against in relation to Asiagate were not found innocent but rather benefited from a flawed process and since they seem unrepentant it is best they are charged again,” he said.
Ndudzo said they have prepared charge sheets for five accused persons in relation to the current match fixing scandal and they will be sending them this week.
Those being hauled before the Zifa Disciplinary Committee are Rushwaya, Shaba, Warriors assistant team coach Nation Dube, former Warriors coach Ian Gorowa and Zifa board member Edzayi Kasinauyo. It could not be established what role Shaba had allegedly played in the recent scandal.
They are accused of fixing matches in South Africa’s Absa Premiership and attempting to influence the results of the upcoming 2017 African Cup of Nations group qualifiers between Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Ndudzo said while he cannot release the exact charges being preferred against the five they are likely to face six charges, being in contravention of the Zifa constitution, flouting the mother body’s rules and regulations, breaching Fifa statutes and code of ethics and going against Caf statutes and code of ethics and bringing the game of football into disrepute.
“The regulations are clear that we should send the charges through registered mail so we do not want to rush and overlook that because it might come back to haunt us later. We do not have to rush but the Zifa secretariat is seized with the matter and acting on that. They (accused) are likely to receive the charges in the coming days after which they will have seven days to respond before the disciplinary committee presides over the cases,” said Ndudzo.
The latest scandal has seen Dube and Kasinauyo being suspended from their posts pending the determination of the hearings.
Zifa revealed that a number of South Africa-based players are also heavily implicated in the scam that has targeted matches in the South African Premiership and the Warriors. The players are said to have been promised $5 000 each to dance to the tune of the underworld bosses.
A dossier that contains tapped telephone conversations, e-mails and sworn affidavits is at the heart of the crackdown.
According to the media, surveillance on the suspects has been going on for more than a month and, this week, it was decided that there was enough evidence to nail the suspects and, crucially, also ensure that the Warriors’ key 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers against Swaziland, during the Easter weekend, were not compromised.
The Absa Premiership charged eight officials and players over the scandal although their names were not divulged in an official statement issued on Thursday.
Zifa officials met early last week with their Safa counterparts as they co-operate to bring the culprits to book.
Bongani Ndlovu