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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ASPIRING Zifa Southern Region chairmanship candidate Musa Mandaza’s candidature could be at the mercy of the electoral court after he took the association to court in 2011.Mandaza is seeking re-election to the regional post in the February 22 elections and will face Bulawayo businessman Mandla Moyo.
Zifa have previously been ruthless with those who take football matters to court. In 2012 suspended Zifa Southern Region boss Gift Banda was slapped with a two-year ban from football after he resorted to the courts to push Zifa to try him on allegations of his involvement in the Centralgate saga.
Banda has served his time but he is yet to get the verdict on Centralgate with Samukeliso Silengane, Cosmas Nyoni (Bulawayo) and three other referees from Bulawayo.
“Fifa is very ruthless with people who take football matters to court. Mandaza should have been hauled before the disciplinary committee and charged. If he was not then he is not guilty of anything and is therefore eligible for election, however, the electoral court is yet to sit and vet all the aspirants,” said Zifa legal advisor and respected Harare lawyer Ralph Maganga yesterday.
In 2011, Mandaza dragged Zifa to court seeking that the Cuthbert Dube led board be dissolved arguing that the elections that ushered them into office were not free and fair.
He also sought the nullification of the Southern Region and Zifa board members elections. Mandaza was trounced by Banda.
In the letter dated August 23, 2011 through a Bulawayo law firm addressed to Zifa, Mandaza argued that the election of Banda was flawed and subsequently the March 27 polls which ushered Dube and his colleagues should have been declared null and void.
They argued that Banda was seconded by former Premier Soccer League club Njube Sundowns whose status as a member of Southern Region Division One was still under review and that Banda’s vote at the national elections should have been disregarded.
The papers read: “Our clients want these elections to be declared null and void and an order made for re-election. Further, that the posts of Zifa president, board members competitions, finance, development, the two vice-presidents, be declared vacant and their election declared null and void and a further order made for re-elections.
“Our clients have gathered that the Zifa board has set up a committee chaired by a Mr Muzawazi to determine the status of Njube Sundowns arising from the 2010 play-offs. It follows, therefore, that Njube Sundowns FC which nominated G Banda was not supposed to participate in the Southern Region elections before its status, which is now being deliberated on, had been determined. And by extension Banda should not have participated in the Zifa elections which gave birth to the current board.”
Mandaza further argued that even if Njube Sundowns were to be adjudged as bona fide members of Southern Region Division One, their argument still remains that Zifa elections must be declared a nullity.
“Even if it is found that Sundowns belong to the Southern Region Division One, still the issue remains that their status would only have been confirmed from the date of such finding which findings do not operate. The mere fact that persons not entitled to vote voted renders the elections a nullity as is by its very nature not capable of being cured. Kindly let us hear from you by the first of September 2011 failing which we have instructions to approach the courts for appropriate relief,” said the letter.
The campaign trail has been marred with accusations and mudslinging with reports over the weekend indicating that one of the candidates treated some teams’ executive to free lunch at an upmarket restaurant in the city soon after the region’s annual general meeting on Saturday.
“We were taken to lunch after the meeting. Normally after a meeting, the association buys us lunch but this time there was nothing like that and we were told that lunch had been bought.
“One of the candidates was there and he started campaigning. For us he said our team should be promoted to the Premiership this season but I believe that is what he was telling other teams as well,” said a club executive from Matabeleland North.
On Thursday evening on SFM radio Mandaza alleged that Moyo was being controlled by some people in town who would soon be exposed.
The veteran administrator who is a former chairman of the region, said the 2010 elections were stolen from him and that Moyo had previously lost at Highlanders and Zifa.
Online Reporter