admin
Eddie Chikamhi and Yeukai Karengezeka
LAWYERS representing disqualified ZIFA presidential aspirant Walter Magaya yesterday insisted the clergyman’s name should appear on the final list of the candidates that will be published today pending the hearing of the urgent chamber application at the High Court.
High Court Judge Justice Chitapi ruled yesterday that the case will be held on Friday afternoon.
Magaya is challenging the decision by the ZIFA Ethics Committee to disqualify him from running for the association’s presidency at elections set for this month.
ZIFA are today expected to announce the list of candidates ,as well as the convocation of the January 25 elective ordinary Congress, as dictated by the statutes.
Magaya is one of five ZIFA board candidates unhappy with the Ethics Committee’s decision to bar them from the race after they were adjudged to have fell short of the ethics and integrity test.
He has challenged the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland as well as at the High Court.
Seaking after the High Court sitting yesterday, Magaya’s lawyer Tavonga Makamure of Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, said his client was still in the race until a final determination was made by the judicial bodies.
“Our understanding is ZIFA must publish the list, which includes the name of our client, even if they indicate that it’s subject to the hearing of the matter, because our client has not been disqualified yet, legally,” said Makamure.
In his urgent chamber application filed at the High Court, Magaya cited the ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairman Lincoln Mutasa as the first respondent, the ZIFA Electoral Committee and the ZIFA Normalisation Committee as the second and third respondents.
Mutasa was accompanied by legal practitioner Chenaimoyo Gumiro while Magaya was represented by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Everson Chatambudza and Makamure.
The urgent chamber application was granted and the case will be heard on Friday.
“This is a case of public interest involving our local football and we have so much confidence,” said Makamure.
ZIFA lawyer Gumiro said they were now going to prepare their heads of arguments.
“Instead of arguing on the urgent application, we just had an agreement, let’s hear the application for review itself.
“So, there was nothing much today and we are now looking forward to Friday,” said Gumiro.
Online Reporter