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The charges were said to have been filed with police in Harare after Belgian soccer coach Tom Saintfiet started working with the national team without a work permit. The allegation came from a police officer who claimed Dube wanted them arrested because of the divisions in the board over the national team coach issue.
“That is a complete lie. Why should I cause the arrest of my fellow board members? What for?” fumed Dube in a telephone interview yesterday.
He said infact every member of the technical committee was being asked by police to come for questioning. The technical committee is headed by former referee Kenny Marange, with other members being Moyo, Solomon Mugavazi (Northern Region chairman), Twine Phiri (Premier Soccer League), Methembe Ndlovu (board member development), Gift Banda (Southern Region).
Central Region chairman Patrick Hokonya is not a member of the technical committee.
“I as the president also appeared before the police last Tuesday, even our acting chief executive officer (Jonathan Mashingaidze) was also questioned,” said Dube who also denied that he was at loggerheads with some of his board members.
“I think they are some people with agendas to paint Zifa as a fragmented institution. This week or early next week we will call for a clear-the-air indaba where all these so called problems at Zifa will be addressed,” he said.
Asked who exactly was the complainant in the case, Dube said he did not think there was a specific complainant “but the police might have been alerted by the print media reports.”
Turning to Saintfiet, Dube said they signed a contract with him before getting a work permit because it is a requirement of the law.
“You cannot get a work permit before a contract of employment has been signed, that is the only reason why we signed that contract,” he said.
The Belgian was deported last week by the Department of Immigration. He is reported to be in Botswana, awaiting his papers.
Dube denied knowledge of Saintfiet’s whereabouts and that his association was paying for his upkeep wherever he is holed up.
He, however, confirmed that the Minister of Education, Art, Sport and Culture, Senator David Coltart had written a letter to co-Ministers of Home Affairs asking them to facilitate the processing of a work permit for the Belgian.
“That letter is also copied to me. We hope it will help expedite the whole process,” said Dube.
Online Reporter