adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
THE Masvingo Civil Court has granted Masvingo United an interdict stopping the Eastern Region’s award ceremony which was to be held in Mutare today.
Masvingo filed an ex parte application for the interdict with the court yesterday and were granted an interim order until January 12, 2016.
The application was made by Masvingo United secretary-general Collen Maboke who was represented by Mutendi and Shumba Legal Practitioners.
Eastern Region administrator and fifth respondent in the matter, Thaddeus Machawira, was served with the order by the Messenger of Court at his offices in Masvingo yesterday.
In his application Maboke cited Zifa board member and outgoing Eastern Region chairman, Piraishe Mabhena, Cyril Mukweva (vice chairman), Wisdom Simba (secretary-general), Davison Muchena (board member finance) and Thaddeus Machawira (administrator) as respondents.
Maboke seeks to bar the Zifa Eastern Region from holding its awards night at which the league winners and soccer stars are set to be rewarded and crowned.
“This is an application for interdict which seeks to bar the Zifa Eastern Region Soccer Stars and the crowning award of Mutare Rovers ceremony as the 2015 Eastern Region Champions at Wise Owl Motel Mutare,” reads the application.
“At the end of the 2015 soccer season, Applicant discovered some irregularities of registration of two Mutare City Rovers players. Following that discovery, an official letter of complaint was dispatched to the Eastern Region Offices in Masvingo as well as the Zifa headquarters,” Maboke stated in his application.
“Applicant habours genuine fears that if the ceremony is allowed to proceed, that would jeopardise the pending case where Mutare City Rovers are alleged to have used improperly registered players that are Tafadzwa Mukahlera and Delayn Chivandire,” said Maboke.
The court order issued in favour of Masvingo United reads in part
“. . . The Respondent be and are hereby ordered to stop forthwith from conducting the crowning ceremony set for 19th December at Wise Owl Motel Mutare upon sight of this order.
Respondents or their agents or fellow board members are hereby interdicted from convening any meetings at Wise Owl or any other venue for the purposes of crowning Mutare City Rovers as the 2015 Zifa Eastern Region winners.
Respondents and all those claiming rights through them be and hereby barred from declaring Mutare City Rovers as the 2015 Eastern Region winners until finalisation of the application and Mutare City Rovers’ disciplinary matter”.
Maboke welcomed the ruling, adding that their decision to seek the court’s assistance was influenced by the region’s blatant disregard of their complaint.
“We’re happy with the court’s decision and look forward to the finalisation of the matter. We took this route because the league continues to treat Mutare City as league winners despite a pending complaint against them that may result in them being docked points,” said Maboke.
Masvingo allege that Chivandire did not have an International Reverse Clearance from Botswana where he turned out for Gaborone United.
They also claim that Mukahlera is their player and has a running contract that expires on December 31 of this year.
Online Reporter