adminNgqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
ZIFA Bulawayo Province acting chairman Francis Ntutha’s position at the body is under threat again, this time from clubs who are questioning his continued stay at the top of the organisation.
Ntutha assumed the chairmanship following the death of Washington Chimanda-Sithole last year. Following the sending out of a notice for the province’s annual general meeting, scheduled for 25 February, one team requested the issue of chairmanship to be included in the any other business section.
According to correspondence in possession of Sunday News, Zifa wrote the notice to clubs on 25 January informing them of the meeting and the following day Chicken Inn sent four items it wanted to be included as any other business and top of the list is the issue of the chairman.
Other issues include cut off age for teams in Division Two, disbanding of Division Three considering its failure to attract teams and to have a strong social league to cater for over-aged players being affected by cut off age in Division Two.
Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara confirmed writing the letter adding they wanted to know the position of the executive on the chairman’s post.
“Zifa Bulawayo Province’s letterhead lists Ntutha as chairman so we simply want to find out how did he get that post and if he is not the chair when are the elections going to be held,” he said.
Some officials from clubs said they had expected the issue to be on the agenda to ensure it is dealt with instead of being left hanging.
One club official who declined to be named said the issue was not necessarily removing Ntutha but following football statutes adding the house can agree to retain him as chairman and then co-opt a vice.
“There has to be clarity on who is chairman because he cannot keep on acting until the next election. Clubs can elect to retain or vote for another person we do not have a problem with that as long as a process has been followed to replace our late chairman,” he said.
As the province does not have its own constitution it relies on Zifa’s charter which states in Article 38 section 5 that: If the president is permanently prevented from performing his official function and his position becomes vacant (e.g. death, resignation, unexcused absence from the Executive Committee for three consecutive meetings), the vice-president shall represent him until the next Congress. This Congress shall elect a new president, if necessary”.
Ntutha said he was yet to see the any other business notice sent by Chicken Inn adding the board would meet next week to prepare for the AGM and discuss any other related issues. Zifa administration officials responded to Hara’s letter confirming receipt and said they would forward it to the board.
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