adminMANY have said it before but President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday this week became the latest critic against what is happening at the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa).
The President bemoaned the Cuthbert Dube administration’s abuse of funds – a development he said was worrying and must stop.
“We are saying we are not yet there, the cake is still small for people to share. When you take gate-takings from people who would have paid to watch soccer, where are you saying the money is coming from? You don’t even have the conscience of saying this is wrong, instead you are saying I am entitled to it. Haa, we are saying enough is enough to that kind of greediness that we cannot have as a country. “I don’t believe it when I hear that Dube is taking money, but haa, this is worrying,” he said.
Since his ascendency to the highest office in domestic football administration when he was first elected in 2010, Dube presided over the run-down of the standards of football in the country.
Since Dube took over reigns as Zifa boss, the national teams have had to deal with one problem after the other, ranging from failure to lure sponsors, allowances, salaries for coaches, to failure by some national teams to fulfil away fixtures among many other challenges.
In a sad development in the history of junior football in the country, the Under 20 team failed to fulfil matches resulting in it being banned from taking part in international competitions. It was also heavily punished following the bans.
Dube’s reign at Zifa has seen Zimbabwe making history all for the wrong reasons. Records have been broken for the wrong reasons after we became the first country since Fifa was formed to be expelled from World Cup qualifying rounds for failing to pay outstanding salaries to former Warriors coach Valinhos.
And today, as other countries compete for tickets to the prestigious 2018 Russia World Cup, Zimbabwean will be just watching others from the terraces without taking part.
The Messenger of Court has become a customary visitor at Number 53 Livingstone Avenue, as the association’s property has been attached and auctioned time and again to cover a litany debts, most of which could have been easily avoided.
A look at Zifa’s debt status will reveal that when Dube took office, the association owed service providers about $600 000 but that amount has exponentially grown to more than $6 million.
Sheer lack of corporate governance has seen Dube coming under fire from fellow board members, who have questioned the way he and Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze have turned the association into a two-man band.
Most of the Zifa board members, with the exception of former Eastern Region boss Fungai Chihuri and John Phiri, have been sidelined from crucial meetings and key decisions of the association.
Several attempts to push Dube out have failed, with the next being a special meeting set for October 3, where another attempt to boot him will be made.
Lack of tolerance has seen Zifa board member for finance Bernard Gwarada, vice-president Omega Sibanda and Women’s Football boss Miriam Sibanda being kicked out of the association after they confronted Dube to clarify how he was using grants the association had received from Fifa.
As if that was enough, sometime this year, Dube also suspended chairmen of all the four regions accusing them of working in cahoots with Sibanda and Gwarada in a plot to oust him.
However, the curtain seems to be coming down on the Zifa boss and his bootlickers.
We wait to see what will became of a police report made by the Zimbabwe Soccer Supporters Association in which they accuse Dube and some of his board members to have abused from the Warriors/Guinea Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match recently.
Thank God, even the highest office on land has also joined the wave of criticism against the rot at 53 Livingstone House.
Online Reporter