daniel chigunwe
Takudzwa Chitsiga
Sports Reporter
THE ZIFA Northern Region Soccer League leadership was yesterday left a relieved lot after getting assurances that their fixture programme would not be disrupted by the on-going boardroom challenges at Harare City.
The Sunshine Boys, who were relegated from the Premiership last season, are going through a dark phase and this week the club’s executive committee led by Alois Masepe was booted out by the Council while funding was frozen until the administrative challenges facing the club had been resolved.
Masepe and his executive were shown the door following a resolution by a special council meeting on Tuesday on allegations of embezzling funds and “personalizing” the club.
The City fathers are, however, still to name a new leadership for the Sunshine Boys.
There were also genuine fears that the dissolution of the Masepe executive could signal the beginning of the collapse of Harare City Football Club that is playing in the ZIFA Northern Division One Soccer League.
Harare City were among the four teams that were relegated from the Premier Soccer League at the end of last year but found their way back in the NRSL.
The decision to withdraw sponsorship was made during a Special Full Council Meeting held at Town House on Tuesday.
Harare Mayor councilor Jacob Mafume said Harare City Council were aware of the corrupt activities at the club and the misuse of public funds, which is rife in the opposition-controlled institution.
“It is not fair and should not be continued. Council will not sponsor any dubious organisations or football clubs at the expense of everyone. This has to stop,” he said.
“All funding will cease with immediate effect until such an anomaly is corrected. An interim committee will be put in place to conduct and also consider whether it is necessary to keep funding a football club at this point.
“It might not be necessary but we have to look into that. An audit must also be instituted as to the use of funds that have been given to the football clubs.”
He added that the sacked executive breached the Council’s by-laws in the way they conducted business. They were also accused of “personalizing” the club as well as the Mayoral Mansion which they used as the club offices.
“There is a need to rethink the funding model of Harare City Football Club,” said Mafume.
“For the avoidance of doubt the people that have been relieved are the current executive and its secretariat. Our Mayoral Mansion where the club is housed must with immediate effect be handed back to the City. Municipal Police must be put there and it must be restored and repaired so that meetings, functions and other official business must be conducted at the Mayoral Mansion to avoid the wastage of resources. That’s clear as a resolution.”
Councillor Denford Ngadziore concurred with Mafume saying funds directed to the club should be audited.
“Harare City Football Club is being funded by rate-payers, we need to take this issue seriously. The current football executive should be stripped of its powers, until a new competent board is elected. A new board to oversee the management and operations of the club should be elected,” said Ngadziore.
Harare City were admitted into the Northern Region Soccer League at the beginning of the current season. Northern Region chairman Martin Kweza immediately called for a meeting with Mafume, from which he emerged a happy man.
Kweza revealed that their discussions with the City Fathers had also gone beyond just the crisis at the Sunshine Boys as they looked at football in a broader perspective.
He said the Mayor had assured them that the boardroom developments at Town House did not mean the collapse of the club.
“We had a very fruitful meeting with the Mayor and he assured us that Harare City’s fixtures are continuing.
“This was why we were meeting. The team played its Division One game against Omnia (yesterday at Motor Action Sports Club) and they will also play at the weekend. The City has already availed the resources for both matches,’’ Kweza said.
“The Mayor told us that whatever was happening was part of their in-house issues which they were sorting.
“From the Northern Region Soccer League executive, we had sought to be proactive and to get an understanding on whether the developments at the club would impact on our fixture programme. As you know, we always strive to avoid any disruptions to our fixtures once a season starts.
“So we are happy to note that Harare City as a club is not dissolved,’’ Kweza said.
Harare City, winners of the 2015 edition of the Chibuku Super Cup in the topflight league, are seeking a quick return to the Premiership and are hoping that coach Joseph “Shabba’’ Takaringofa and his men can claim the Northern Region championship by the end of this season.
Online Reporter