Dube’s big expenditure

power in March last year.
The Harare business executive has been literally footing Zifa bills from his pocket, paying the salaries of Warriors’ coach Norman Mapeza, staff at 53 Livingstone Avenue and bonuses, incentives and air tickets for the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors.

Dube has been in the media spotlight in the past week after Zifa Southern Region chairman, Gift Banda, accused him of bribing councillors to vote for him to become Zifa president last year.
Banda is accused of having a hand in the match-fixing controversy that has rocked the Zifa Central Region, with the region’s chairman, Patrick Hokonya, also being implicated.
Zifa vice-president, Ndumiso Gumede, who has been leading the investigations into the Central Region match-fixing scam, told The Chronicle last week that the scandal could turn out to be bigger than Asiagate.

Dube will chair a Zifa board meeting in Harare today where the Central Region corruption scandal is set to be dealt with in detail.
The Zifa president revealed yesterday that he felt hurt that for all the personal sacrifice he has made to keep the football ship afloat, he had turned into a soft target for those who wanted to soil his image.

Dube can’t reconcile how Zifa board members, who receive sitting allowances paid from his private business, and who attend assembly meetings bankrolled by his company, can now turn around and accuse him of allegedly bribing councilors in the countdown to the elections that ushered him into office.
Both Hokonya and Banda have made spirited denials to allegations that they were key players in the corruption scandal that marred the Central Region, made by suspended referee Cosmas Nyoni, and the duo is once again expected to deny the allegations when the board meets this afternoon.

But against the background of the shadowy battles that have been going on in the past week, it has emerged that Dube, through his private business – Buymore Investments – has helped keep Zifa afloat this year.

Dube loaned out a total of US$164 881 to Zifa for various activities that included the Warriors’ 2012 Nations Cup qualifying campaign, the Mighty Warriors road to the All-Africa Games finals, salaries for the Zifa staff and payment of the association’s long overdue debts, including those in which they were facing litigation.
Among the Zifa staff members whose salaries were met by Dube is Warriors’ coach Mapeza.

Dube has also been meeting the board fees for his Zifa members and also bankrolled the Zifa assembly meetings, including the latest held just two weeks ago in Harare.
It also emerged that the Zifa boss was called in to chip in at the 11th hour to pay for the air tickets of the Warriors’ foreign contingent for their last international assignment for 2011 – an international friendly against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at Rufaro on November 15.

For all the money he has used to bail out the association so far and the title deeds to his house which he surrendered to ensure the Warriors travelled to Bamako, Mali for their Nations Cup assignment, Zifa have only managed to pay back Dube US$10 000.
Although he insisted he has no regrets having used his personal resources to chip in and help the association that he leads, with the help of 12 others, Dube noted that the immediate focus for the board would be to find strategies for the long term sustainability of Zifa.

“These funds that I have had to use are from the family business and the family also have their own commitments,” said Dube.
“As leader of the ship I have no regrets for helping Zifa because this is something that I started doing a long time ago when I was still the Eastern Region chairman and I have continued to do that and I

also give a grant to each of the 10 provinces.

“In fact, according to the figures that have been worked out by the company, the total amount Buymore has given, from just before I became president to date, is US$550 000.
“But what is painful is that for all the help that I have given just to ensure Zifa stays afloat and we fulfil some of our objectives, this is the thank you, you get – people going on a spirited move to tarnish your image and trying to take advantage of the fact that I have a name and an image to protect.”

Dube has clearly not taken the bribery allegations made against him lightly.
Some tough questions will also be asked of this Zifa board at today’s indaba, including the need for the domestic game’s leadership to define the line that divides financial assistance and bribery, in the way Dube and a few individuals have helped Zifa.

Although Zifa appear to have put themselves under immense pressure to clean up the game from corruption and match-fixing by year-end, the association will have to acknowledge that it is a tough process that would not be done overnight and will have its bumps along the way, including suspensions of some board members.
Even Fifa, who have undertaken a clean-up of the world soccer governing body, have not found it easy either.

Fifa secretary general, Jerome Valcke, has warned that the mission to clean up world football’s governing body could take up to two years.
Following a year in which Fifa has been hit by allegations of corruption in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, along with the highly publicised downfall of former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam, the organisation last week revealed further details of its long awaited reform body.

Fifa unveiled Mark Pieth, who currently serves as Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Basel, as leader of the Independent Governance Committee that will oversee reform of world football’s governing body.

The nature of the Committee has already attracted criticism with Fifa’s anti-corruption advisor Transparency International withdrawing its assistance after questioning its independence.
And Valcke has acknowledged that it may be some time before its first real benefits become apparent.

“The governance committee will start its work soon, under the leadership of the chairman, Dr Pieth,” said Valcke, speaking at the press conference announcing the three-man shortlist for the 2011 Fifa Ballon d’Or.

“The goal is for them to bring some first ideas to the Fifa Executive Committee in December. Then in March, if there is a change of statutes, it has to go to the (Fifa) Congress in (May) 2012.
“I don’t think all of it can be done in 2012, so potentially it will be extended to the Congress in 2013.”

Zimbabwe Football Association
Buymore Investment – Loan Advanced

DateDetailsLoan AdvancedLoan Re-paymentBalance USD

08.02.10     Rec#18806              7,070.00
08.05.10     Rec#18807           2,500.00
05.06.10     Zim vs Seychelles       5,330.00
11.06.10     Salaries May 2010         14,281.00
11.06.10     Admin Expenses             719.00
30.06.10     Rec#18801                  1,700.00
06.07.10   Zim007                        8,282.00
26.07.10     Board Meeting                  254.00
26.07.10     Loan repayment       28,612.00
27.07.10     Rec#18802 2,700.00
29.07.10   Rec#18803                   2,735.00
29.07.10     Rec#18804                    500.00
31.07.10     Rec#18805 3,480.00
03.08.10     Board Expenses                340.00
04.08.10     Mr. J. Mashingaidze travel allowance               500.00
13.08.10     Rec#18792                       1,130.00
15.08.10     Rec#18792                    2,790.00
16.08.10     Loan repayment            8,000.00
18.08.10   Rec#18792    1,300.00
20.08.10     Rec#18792                           100.00
05.10.10     Rec#18792                        472.00
16.10.10     Rec#18792                                                5,850.00
20.10.10     Rec#18792       360.00
30.10.10     Rec#18792                                                 7,600.00
06.10.10     Rec#18793                                                 15,000.00
16.11.10   Rec#18827                                                 10,000.00

Buymore Investments Loan advanced 2011
DateDetailsLoan AdvancedLoan Re-paymentBalance USD

01.01.11Balance c/d                                                                                      58,381.00
16.05.11Zimbabwe (women) vs Angola (women) – Referees    5,900.00
16.05.11Zimbabwe (women) vs Angola (women) – Escort balance             268.00
16.05.11Zimbabwe Women Team Allowances    832.00
26.05.11Loan repayment 5,000.00
09.05.11NICOZ DIAMOND       200.00
02.06.11Board meeting snacks                                                                        90.00
12.07.11Loan repayment                                                                                5,000.00
22.07.11U20 National Team camp requirements                                           140.00
22.07.11U20 National Team transport refunds 500.00
03.09.11National Team                                                                                 30,000.00
09.09.11Board Members Allowances & Transport refunds 2,210.00
30.09.11Board Members Allowances & Transport refunds                          1,990.00
27.10.11Wintertons Attorneys – Lomagundi Travel                                      6,200.00
28.10.11Board Members accommodation, allowances & transport refunds 2,470.00
09.11.11Senior Nat. Team Coach Salary balance                                      2,500.00
18.11.11Salaries part-payment                                                                12,500.00
25.11.11Salaries part-payment                                                                  2,500.00
25.11.11LED Travel & Tours                                                                    10,000.00
26.11.11Board and EGM                                                                          9,000.00
28.11.11LED Travel & Tours                                                                   15,000.00
02.12.11Salaries part-payment    4,200.00