admin
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
A SENIOR Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services officer Rosemary Kanonge and former Zimbabwe Referees’ Committee boss Samukeliso Silengane were yesterday elected unopposed as Zimbabwe Women’s Football chairperson and deputy chairperson respectively.
Barbra Chikosi and Samukeliso Ndlovu were also elected unopposed as executive committee members, while Luckmore Marufu and Brightwell Kadenge will go into the polls for one of the two remaining committee members’ slots in elections set for this Saturday in Harare.
Kanonge, a senior assistant commissioner in the ZPCS, will now automatically get a chair on the Zifa executive committee, while Silengane and three other women executive members become members of the Zifa Assembly.
“A by-election to be contested for by women only will be held in due course in order to satisfy the required quota of four women within the Zifa Assembly,” said Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela last night.
Silengane makes a return to mainstream football since her suspension by the Cuthbert Dube administration over the Centralgate scandal that also claimed the scalps of then Southern Region boss Gift Banda and referee Cosmos Nyoni.
Silengane had taken over the reins in the referees’ committee, replacing veteran referee Kenny Marange, who had suffered a similar fate over match-fixing allegations.
Kanonge takes over from Miriam Sibanda, who was suspended before being pardoned, but did not seek re-election. Long standing administrator Elizabeth Langa has been in charge of women’s football in an acting capacity, but she too did not seek to run for office.
Bongani Ndlovu