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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
WORLD football governing body, Fifa has not endorsed the suspension of two Zifa board and 12 assembly members by the embattled Cuthbert Dube-led executive.
In an e-mailed response to inquiries by Chronicle Sport concerning the suspensions, Fifa issued a one-sentence response indicating that it was closely following events at Zifa.
“Fifa is currently monitoring the situation,” said Alois Hug, a Fifa spokesman.
Chronicle Sport also wanted to know Fifa’s position regarding the postponement of a joint extraordinary and annual general meeting it had directed the association to hold on June 16.
Zifa postponed the meeting to “sometime in July or August” in violation of its own constitution and total disregard of concerned Zimbabweans who want to see the mess at the mother body cleared once and for all.
Fifa had been quick to intervene and declare null and void a decision taken by an extraordinary Zifa meeting of May 16 that resolved to oust the association’s boss Dube, and board members John Phiri, Fungai Chihuri and Tawengwa Hara.
Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda and board member responsible for finance Bernard Gwarada were the high profile casualties of the purge seemingly aimed at ridding the board of all anti-Dube elements.
Sibanda was supposed to be heavily involved with all national teams but was totally shut out by the Zifa secretariat headed by chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze, a close ally of Dube.
Sibanda was reduced to a virtual outsider as he was never consulted or informed about national team appointments and relied on the media, yet he was supposed to be the second most powerful man in local football.
Gwarada was never involved in the management of Zifa funds despite the fact that he was supposed to be in charge of the association’s finances. All Zifa money issues were handled by Mashingaidze and other employees.
Others that were also suspended were Southern Region chairperson Musa Mandaza, Northern Region bosses Willard Manyengavana and his deputy Martin Kweza as well as secretary-general Sweeney Mushonga, Eastern Region boss Piraishe Mabhena and board member Davison Muchena.
Southern Region board members Brighton Malandule and Tumediso Ndlovu, Matabeleland North boss Dennis Chuma, Central Region boss Felton Kamambo and his deputy Patrick Hill as well as beach soccer chairperson Joseph Musariri were also booted out.
The 14 officials were suspended on June 15 at a board meeting that Mashingaidze and legal advisor Ralph Maganga illegally actively participated in as they are unelected officials.
The suspensions are yet to be endorsed by the full Zifa assembly, which consists of all the mother body’s 58 affiliates.
Premier Soccer League chairperson and key board member, Twine Phiri recently distanced himself from the purge saying that occurred before he arrived at the meeting venue, Zifa Village.
Twine Phiri’s revelation left Zifa boss Dube and three other board members John Phiri, Chihuri and Hara as the brains behind the highly unpopular move to suspend half of the members that attended a May 16 extraordinary meeting that resolved to oust Dube, Chihuri and Hara.
The trio was saved by Fifa who declared the meeting illegal saying it had not met the three-month period prescribed by the Zifa constitution.
Fifa then set a deadline of June 16 for a properly constituted extraordinary congress convened by the secretary-general and chaired by the president.
The Sports and Recreation Commission has not hidden its mounting anger over the suspensions, describing the latest madness at Zifa as a serious threat to national interests.
The SRC board is expected to announce its position this week after receiving Zifa’s report.
SRC director-general Charles Nhemachena confirmed that board members had been furnished with the Zifa report and the national sports associations’ regulatory body would soon announce a position on Zifa.
Online Reporter