Chess federation meet today

Takudzwa Chitsiga-Sports Reporter

AFFILIATES of the Zimbabwe Chess Federation will converge in Harare today for an emergency meeting which is aimed at mapping the way forward so that the federation have a constitution that is recognised by the Sports Commission.

The meeting is likely to see a vote of no confidence on the Collen Tongoona-led executive which they feel is not doing enough for the sport.

Tongoona is barely in his first term of office and affiliates believe he has not managed to do what they expected of him when he got into office some two years ago.

In a petition written to the Sports Commission, the affiliates raised many issues mainly to do with finances, corporate governance in the federation which they say is not clear, transparency and does not comply with standards.

After the withdrawal of several sponsors and the resignation of the federation’s vice-president Mucha Mkanganwi, the affiliates feel that something is not going on well at the federation and it need their immediate intervention.

“The undersigned members, here-by petitions the Zimbabwe Chess Federation secretary-general in terms of clause 10(b) of the constitution calling for a special general meeting.

“The emergency meeting seeks to question the constitutional reforms and corporate governance matters as there has been no concrete action by the executive committee, having accepted that ZCF is in a constitutional crisis by virtue of not having a constitution recognised by the SRC,” they stated.

The affiliates also want to scrutinise the selection criteria used to select athletes across all the divide from provincial to national level.

“We will also take a look on the flaws in the player selection criteria being used by the federation in almost all competitions. We have noted the failure of the executive committee or its composite organs to update or report the financial position of the federation.

“There is disgruntlement emanating from sponsors over constitutional reforms in the federation so there is need to introspect on the suitability of organs of the executive committee, the measures and steps the federation has to take to fully comply with the requirements relating to constitutions by the SRC,” they added.