GWINDI MAKES HIS MOVE

Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE City chairman Leslie Gwindi has given the biggest hint that he is ready for another challenge for the Zifa presidency when elections for the board members are held at the end of next month.
Gwindi’s major hurdle to contest for any football post had been the effective two-year ban hovering over his head after he was convicted by Zifa on charges of bringing the game of football into disrepute.

The former Premier Soccer League secretary-general was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute following his public utterances in Bulawayo in which he allegedly condemned the league’s sponsors Delta Beverages’ sponsorship package.

He was banned for five-years and three-years were wholly suspended while the remaining two-years were to be suspended on condition that Gwindi met the certain conditions set aside by Zifa.

The Zifa disciplinary committee had pointed out that one year would be suspended on condition that Gwindi pays a fine of US$6 000 within a fortnight of the judgment.

Another one year was also set aside on condition that Gwindi publicly apologises to Zifa, the PSL and the league’s sponsors.

All along Gwindi had been playing his cards close to his chest, and referring all related matters to his lawyer Charles Chinyama, until yesterday when the Harare City chairman came out of his shell and revealed that he had made efforts to meet the conditions.

“There were basically four charges, if my memory serves me right. There was a charge on the language which they felt was unsavoury towards the sponsors,” Gwindi said in an address to the media.

“There was also a charge on the comment I made on the vanquished national team coach (Klaus Dieter) Pagels whom I had said was very unsuitable, if we were ambitious.

“Another charge was on former Minister (David) Coltart whom I said was not paying sufficient attention to the national pastime, football, and finally there was a charge on the level of sponsorship.

“We went through the process and they came up with a judgment that amounted to the following: I have to pay US$6000 dollars, secondly I had to publicly revisit my wording towards the association, the sponsors and the PSL.

“We received this judgment some 12 working days ago and this week, falls pretty much within the time to respond to that and we have satisfied the conditions that they set and my legal team is dealing precisely with that.”

After the judgment, Zifa lawyer Ralph Maganga pointed that despite being convicted by the disciplinary committee, Gwindi would be eligible to stand in any elections under the auspices of the association if he met the conditions set.

By meeting the conditions Maganga said, Gwindi would have been deemed to have served his term his judgment.

Yesterday, Gwindi gave the biggest hint that he was now going for the Zifa presidency.

“Now, having met all those other conditions, this afternoon, what that means is it gives us all the other options to be available in football in any form and any role,” said Gwindi.

“So, we will exercise that role or option as democratically as we should.”

Gwindi said when he made the statements that got him into trouble, he wanted to create debate as a football administrator.

“When I made the statement, I strongly believed that it was done in the spirit of a democratic society where individuals obtain and retain the right to free comment.

“I believed free and fair comment is critical in sport and that was the spirit in which the statement was made but PSL, Zifa and the sponsors might have found it difficult to swallow.

“I want it to be stated that at no time was the intention meant to annoy anyone. If then PSL and Zifa and or sponsors found it offensive, I must say it was not intended but it had been done in the spirit of fair comment,” said Gwindi.

While he did not specifically throw his hat to challenge the Zifa presidency, a race he lost to Cuthbert Dube in March 2010, Gwindi gave a hint that he could contest.

“So we have met the conditions that we have been asked to meet and the big questions is what is my next step?

“I am available for any other seat available in sport and football. I think the most important thing was to jump this hurdle by having satisfied these conditions before the next 48 hours.

“So my legal team will give advice because we have retained the right to remain in football and decisions will be made in the near future,” said Gwindi.