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THE new ZIFA president will be entitled to an annual US$50 000 tax-free cash bonus from CAF as compensation for the time he uses leading the national football association.
That translates to about US$4 166 a month.
ZIFA will have a new leader on January 25 if the elections proceed as expected.
The elections could be delayed if prophet Walter Magaya’s application to the High Court to have the poll delayed if granted.
Magaya, who was barred from contesting the ZIFA poll in which he was eyeing the presidency, has mounted a legal challenge to have that decision reversed.
He has also taken his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
Benjani Mwaruwari, who is also eyeing the ZIFA presidency, and Gift Banda, who wants to be the association’s vice-president, have also taken their cases to CAS after they were elbowed from the contest.
The outcome of those cases will have a huge bearing on the ZIFA polls.
What isn’t in question is that, even if the polls are delayed, we will eventually have a substantive ZIFA boss this year.
And, the successful candidate will be entitled to an annual US$50 000 payment from CAF.
When Felton Kamambo was the ZIFA boss, he used to get US$20 000 a year from CAF.
However, in October last year, heads of national associations got a hefty hike when the CAF payment was increased from US$20 000 to US$50 000.
The decision was taken unanimously by all 54-member countries.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe feels the US$50 000 payment was still “insignificant.”
He said some of the presidents have no resources and they run the associations out of their pockets.
The CAF vice presidents and CAF executive members will get US$20 000 a year.
Presidents of zonal bodies like COSAFA and CECAFA will get US$25 000 a year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino gets about US$4,67 million a year.
We believe the ZIFA president deserves the US$50 000 annual payment for their service to the game.
It’s a fair compensation for the time they spend working for a national cause where they are not directly paid by the associations they lead.
It’s largely voluntary work and they run huge bills working for a national cause.
If we had our way, we would have wanted them to receive even US$100 000 a year for their services to the sport.
We don’t want to see the ZIFA boss resorting to abusing money meant for development of the game in this country.
We have had many former ZIFA bosses being accused of misappropriating the association’s funds and we don’t want a repeat of such malpractice.
We want a new ZIFA, and a new ZIFA leader, because that is what our national game is crying out for.
A US$4 100 monthly payment from FIFA to help them cover some of the costs they incur running the association appears to be fair.
Online Reporter