adminAN increasingly desperate Zifa board is being accused of concocting charges as it seeks to regularise the controversial suspension of vice president Omega Sibanda and board member finance Ben Gwarada.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze furnished the pair with charge sheets and has asked them to respond within seven days.
“Where you are denying the allegations, a date for a disciplinary hearing will be advised to you accordingly.
“Further at your hearing you have the right to appear in person before the disciplinary committee or with a lawyer,” Mashingaidze advised the pair in a letter that was also copied to Dube and Zifa board members.
The drama has also sucked in ZPC Kariba coach Sunday Chidzambwa.
Barely two months after having his Asiagate suspension lifted, Chidzambwa is being accused of working with Gwarada to topple the infamous Zifa president Cuthbert Dube.
Gwarada and Sibanda are jointly being charged with unlawfully and intentionally attending and chairing an “unconstitutional Zifa extraordinary meeting called specifically to remove a lawfully elected Zifa president and board members.”
They are also accused of speaking to the Press without authority from the Zifa board following the controversial suspension of Women’s Football chairperson Miriam Sibanda.
Count three will see the pair answering allegations of leaking Zifa board resolutions to the Press.
Count four is Gwarada’s, with the suspended Zifa board member accused of plotting to topple Dube during a meeting held at his company premises and attended by Chidzambwa, former Zifa president Vincent Pamire and veteran administrator Francis Zimunya.
“In that on the 6th of December 2014 and at Led Car Rental, the respondent Bernard Gwarada convened a meeting that plotted the ouster of the Zifa president Cuthbert Dube in violation of the constitution and rules and regulations.
“Among the persons who attended were Francis Zimunya, Sunday Marimo, Ignatius Pamire and others,” reads the charge sheet.
Chidzambwa, who was once known as Sunday Marimo before changing his surname , dismissed the allegations last night.
“It’s not true, it’s very false,” charged the ZPC Kariba coach, who recently returned to the bench after having his life ban imposed for his alleged involvement in the Asiagate match fixing scandal, lifted.
“I was not involved in any such meeting. I do not have any mandate to remove Cuthbert Dube, that is for the councillors to do.”
Zimunya, the leader of the Lifelong Footballers Trust, said although he is a firm believer in the “Dube must go gospel”, he did not attend any meeting at Gwarada’s company.
“My position on Cuthbert Dube is very clear. The man has killed our game and the sooner he goes the better. However, I was never at Led Travel for a meeting plotting to ouster Dube. All the meetings I have attended have been public meeting,” he said.
Gwarada is still mulling the route to take after receiving the charge sheet last week.
“I haven’t decided whether to respond or not to these allegations. I am not sure it’s worth the fight, let’s see how it goes,” he said.
While Gwarada is understood to be coy at taking the fight to Zifa as he seeks to invest most of his time into his travel and tourism business, some top lawyers are ready to offer their services for free.
“Clearly these charges are cooked up and as lawyers who love our football, we are ready to help these guys out if they are willing to fight Dube and his gang.
“All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. We are good men and won’t be doing nothing,” said one of the lawyers.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter