Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ISAIAH 6:1 reads: “In the year that King Uziah died, I saw the Lord…”
Custodians of Zimbabwean football, the Zifa councillors, finally saw the light, realising the power they have to make the elected Zifa executive committee to account and not allow them to do as they please.
They seem to have seen the light two days after the death of Zimbabwe’s football administration icon Ndumiso Gumede.
An administrator par excellence, who selflessly served football for almost half a century with distinction, Gumede died on December 29, 2021, after succumbing to kidney failure.
Two days later, a group of Zifa councillors served the suspended national executive with letters detailing their flaws.
The charges contained in the letter may lead to a revocation of their mandate as Zifa leaders.
With local football at crossroads, as the Zifa board found itself at loggerheads with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) resulting in it being suspended, the Zifa councillors woke up from their slumber on December 31, initiating a process to call for an extraordinary general meeting.
Allegations of poor governance, gross financial mismanagement, mishandling of material resources, sweeping under the carpet sexual harassment claims and usurping powers of the Zifa congress have been thrown at the suspended Zifa executive committee members.
Surprisingly, the councillors had been idle before the SRC moved in to suspend their leader.
But just maybe the death of Gumede, who fought for justice in sport and a clean football environment, might have revived interest among the councillors to start building a legacy of their own by emulating the revered departed administrator.
Gumede’s death may be likened to that of King Uziah in Isaiah 6:1, and bring light that will stimulate present and future leaders to be wise and remember why they have been bestowed with the responsibility to be responsible leaders.
Sports administrators must take a leaf from Gumede and set up systems that will create employment.
Administrators must also take heed of words of advice from Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube at Gumede’s service held on Monday at the Amphitheatre.
“We’ve lost as Bulawayo, as Zimbabwe. I’m here standing on behalf of the President in mourning Gumede. Everyone is speaking about his great works.
He fought a good fight, putting good systems in place, creating jobs for many people from the time he was a teacher. I always asked myself why he was behaving like a teacher, but now I got my answer. He found a way to come up with solutions,” said Ncube.
It is coming up with lasting solutions which can save, not only football, but the entire sports industry.
What better honour to keep the legacy of Gumede alive than following in his footsteps and creating a better sports industry.
In spite of the Zifa councillors taking long to flex their muscles, that they’ve awoken from their slumber and are moving towards taking control is commendable.
Only 27 members of the Zifa congress saw purpose in calling for an extraordinary meeting set for the end of the month.
It’s not that the charges preffered against the suspended board are farfetched, they are real.
The board failed to call for a general meeting in 2021, leaving Zifa on “autopilot” as councillors were on the dark as to what was happening.
The Zifa executive displayed its disregard of Zifa organs, showing that its standing committees don’t function properly.
In the charges against the board, the councillors were concerned that heading into an elective year, Zifa still had not appointed an electoral committee.
What is clear in terms of the councillors’ concerns is that the football association is dysfunctional.
The Zifa congress is deeply concerned with the manner in which the board handled charges of sexual allegations levelled against one of their members, accusing the executive of protecting their own instead of football.
There are allegations that female referees that declined sexual advances have been frozen out of courses as well as appointments.
On a positive note, an organisation outside football is reportedly pursuing the sexual harassment matter.
But with all the hullabaloo going on in football politics, the Warriors are going about well with their preparations for the Afcon finals.
Government, through the SRC, has made sure that the Warriors are in the right mindset when they play their first match against Senegal on Monday.
The SRC set up a US$1 million budget to cater for the Warriors’ Afcon sojourn from the time they went into camp to prepare for the tournament. This money is inclusive of match appearance allowances. – @ZililoR
Online Reporter