adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
FLAMBOYANT Harare businessman and Zimbabwe Football Association presidential aspirant, Philip Chiyangwa, says he is different from deposed Zifa president, Cuthbert Dube in that he will not seek to recover the money he gives to football. Chiyangwa told Post Sport in a telephone interview early this week that he will ‘not stoop so low’ as to reclaim the money that he is giving to the national teams.
The aspiring Zifa president donated $10 000 to the Warriors to avert a revolt in camp and went on to donate a similar amount to the history making Mighty Warriors.
The businessman, now known in social circles as the ‘King of selfies’ owing to his numerous images post on various social media platforms, said critics must cease to concentrate on the demerits of his Zifa presidential candidature, but should proffer better candidates than him. He said no one had the right to tell him how to use his money and even if he decides to give it to Zifa councillors, it is his choice.
Chiyangwa has already hit the ground running in his bid to land the biggest job in Zimbabwean football. PC, as Chiyangwa is adoringly referred to by his admirers, said Zimbabweans must never be worried by the money he is donating to national football teams since they are ‘donations not loans’. “The difference between me and (Cuthbert) Dube is that I give donations, not loans. I do not give money and then come back and say that it was a loan. No.
“The other difference is that Dube was an employee and I am an employer. I do not need to seek permission to anyone in order for me to attend to Zifa business. That is one major difference between me and the other prospective candidates.
“When I do something I do it will all my heart, soul and mind. I have been in sport for a long time and my record speaks for itself. In any case, I am undertaking national duty. There is not going to a better candidate better than me.
“Zifa was being run by people who appear like criminals and that should stop. I have sponsored football before and I am already sponsoring it right now. If I had not given the Warriors the $10 000 they needed it could have been a crisis.
“Why then would some people wait to criticise me on the basis that I am donating to football? No one has the right to tell me how to use my money and even if I decide to give to it Zifa councillors, it is my money. Ndezvavo here? Ndeyangu. Ndinayo mari yacho. Ndakabvira kare ndichizviita,” fumed the Harare businessman.
The highest office in domestic football administration fell vacant after the ouster of disgraced Cuthbert Dube and the financially troubled association will hold its elections for new leadership on December 5.A total of 58 Zifa councillors will converge next month to elect the Zifa president, the deputy and three other board members.
Nominations closed on Thursday (yesterday) with the vetting of the candidates set for Saturday (tomorrow). Asked what he is going to prioritise if elected the Zifa president, Chiyangwa said: “First and foremost, I think we need to have a forensic audit so that we verify that every figure that appears on the $6 million debt is genuine.
“Thereafter, we make sure that we engage each and every sponsor that once worked with Zifa. The fact is that sponsors are there, but they would never want to be associated with Zifa because of the way it was being run.
“We will ensure that there is corporate governance so that sponsors can have faith or trust in us. You must also be aware that I am not stopping at Zifa. I am actually looking ahead at Caf and then Fifa,” said Chiyangwa. But his eligibility to run for the Zifa office has been questioned since the post requires one to have served in football administration within Zifa affiliates for at least five years.
Chiyangwa claims to have 22 years of football administration behind him, from Five-A-Side football, Chinhoyi United and Old Citrus, which he said he owned. “I am one of the founders of Five-A-Side soccer in this country. With respect, it is clear for me that apart from my Chinhoyi United experience and also having owned Old Citrus Club, which was in Division Three, it is 22 years of experience.
But you see people want to mainly concentrate on clubs like Caps, Highlanders and Dynamos. I am coming from the grassroots. At the time I was doing it, I was not thinking about creating a CV for this post,” he said. Chiyangwa is known more for his involvement in music and boxing promotion that earned him the nickname “Captain Fiasco”.
However, the Harare businessman’s Zifa presidential candidature had almost come under stern challenge following the arrival of former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari in the country ahead of the close of the nomination court.However, it is understood that Mwaruwari has since settled for the Zifa vice-president post because of age restrictions.
He is expected to battle it out with three other heavyweights — ex-FC Platinum president, Nathan Shoko, former Zifa vice-president and Bulawayo businessman, Omega Sibanda and Jabulani Nkomo, son of the late former Vice-President of Zimbabwe, John Nkomo.
Mwaruwari (38) had indicated his willingness to contest the biggest job in Zimbabwean football, but it has emerged he is ineligible for the Zifa presidency because of the age limit.According to the Zifa constitution, aspiring presidential candidates should be at least 40 years old.
Based on that constitutional technicality, Mwaruwari, who had picked up two nomination forms at the Zifa offices early this week, now, targets the number two position, which has no age limit.
A number of names, headlined by Chiyangwa, have indicated their willingness to contest for the post of Zifa president. Former Warriors defender James Takavada is one of the candidates that have shown interest in the post. Former Harare City Football Club chairman, Leslie Gwindi, ex-Zifa president, Trevor Carlse Juul and former Dynamos chairman, Temba Mliswa are also thought to be interested in the post.
Also in the race for the post of board members are Warriors team manager, Shariff Mussa and retired referee, Wilfred Mukuna.
Online Reporter