adminBanda appeared before Kustom Kachambwa, Gladmore Muzambi and a third member who acted as the Zifa prosecutor.
The hearing took place in Bulawayo yesterday morning.
Banda was charged with Contravening Section 56(1) of the Zifa Constitution i.e Zifa, its members, players, officials, match/player agents will not take any dispute to ordinary courts unless specifically provided for in statutes and Zifa regulations.
Zifa alleged that on 10 November 2011, and on 7 February 2011, Banda wrote a letter of complaint to the Sport and Recreation Commission and took the matter to court.
Banda complained that Zifa were delaying in clearing his name on charges that he said were frivolous.
Zifa said Banda’s actions brought the name of the association into disrepute in case number hcb 253/12.
In the second case Banda is the second defendant in a case in which he is alleged to have contravened a section of the Zifa Rules and Regulations.
“Contravening Section 4(1) © of the Zifa Rules and Regulations i.e offer or attempt to offer, either directly or indirectly any consideration whatever to another club, player or players of clubs and officials with a view of influencing the result of a match.”
Zifa alleged that on a date unknown to the complainant in 2010 Samukeliso Silengane and Gift Banda or either of them unlawfully instructed Cosmas Nyoni, the Zifa Southern Region co-ordinator to ensure that Big 11, a Zifa Southern Region team, should survive relegation.
This meant that Hardbody of the Central Soccer League were to be favoured.
The charge sheet read in part: “On a date unknown to the complainant in 2010 Samukeliso Silengane and Gift Banda or either of them unlawfully instructed Cosmas Nyoni, the Zifa Southern Region co-ordinator to ensure that Big 11, a lower division team survive relegation by offering or attempting to offer directly or indirectly a consideration to the said Big 11 with a view of influencing the result of the match in favour of Hardbody.”
In the third count, Banda is alleged to have again tried to influence the outcome of matches between Hardbody FC and FC Glow, Tripple B and Chrome Stars as well as that between Gweru Pirates and Kwekwe Stars.
Zifa allege that in October 2011, Silengane and Banda hatched a plan to influence the match result involving Hardbody Football Club and FC Glow, Tripple B and Chrome Stars, Gweru Pirates and Kwekwe Stars.
Banda, a Bulawayo businessman and a former Njube Sundowns director is denying the charges and is in fact questioning why he is already being referred to as former Zifa Southern Region chairman. He said by referring to him as former chairman, Zifa has already passed a judgment against him before the hearing.
The High Court in Bulawayo on 12 October ordered the reinstatement of Banda in a default judgment.
Online Reporter