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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THE situation is getting out of hand at ZIFA with the suspended board members kicking in every direction after they announced wholesale suspensions of officials at the weekend.
The suspended board members, who are under fire from the ZIFA Assembly members over alleged maladministration, are targeting those involved in the planning of a special extraordinary general meeting that intends to revoke their mandate.
The indaba was supposed to take place at the weekend but FIFA have advised that it be held in April. And, the Felton Kamambo-led board have taken the opportunity to pounce on perceived adversaries by sending suspension letters to eight members of the ZIFA Assembly. The Members however hold that they exercised their constitutional right, as provided for in the ZIFA statutes, Article 28(2), in calling for the EGM.
Those targeted included Martin Kweza (Northern Region), Sweeney Mushonga (Northern Region), David Muchena (Eastern Region), Derrick Matapure (Mashonaland West), Nobioth Magwizi (Masvingo Province) and Moses Chikoti (Northern Region Area Zone).
Three Premier Soccer League club chairmen that include Dynamos’ Isaiah Mupfurutsa, Josphat Sibanda of Highlanders and Nhamo Tutisani have also been caught up in the storm.
The suspended board, which has been making shots in the dark ever since their suspension by the Sports and Recreation Commission last November, have also said they are suspending acting chief executive officer Xolisani Gwesela, Wellington Mpandare who is general manager-national teams and the Premier Soccer League chief executive officer, Kenny Ndebele.
However, Kweza, the man who was designated by the 27 members of the ZIFA Assembly to lead the call for the EGM to discuss and revoke the mandate of the suspended board, yesterday said the move by the Kamambo board showed a people desperate to cling on to power.
He described the suspensions as “null and void” since the board members are incapacitated to carry out any resolutions on behalf of ZIFA because of the Sports Commission embargo.
He said the purge was aimed at intimidating the ZIFA Assembly members and was adamant the EGM will go ahead as planned early April, with the agenda unchanged.
“As the Assembly members we remain resolute to make the right calls for our football,” said Kweza.
“We are convinced that the executive committee members have a case to answer and we therefore urge you to remain patient as we await the date of the EGM to be set.
“As previously communicated, any communication from the suspended executive committee remains null and void, this includes the suspension letters of shame. Our football deserves better not, this kind of ‘let football do the talking’ mantra, which calls for a FIFA ban,” said Kweza.
The actions by suspended ZIFA board members have also been seen as a direct provocation to the Sports Commission who suspended the board in November last year.
Kweza said by taking such radical measures, the members of the suspended ZIFA board are hoping that the Sports Commission, who have hitherto been silent on football matters, will be forced to spring into action, and they find reason to call for FIFA ban.
Questions have also been asked whether the board members, who have been suspended under an Act of parliament, have the clout to make any football decision on behalf of ZIFA.
The board was suspended on allegations of mismanagement and ignoring the sensitive case of sexual harassment of female referees by some ZIFA officials. However, they have been acting in defiance ever since.
“As previously indicated, the ZIFA Assembly members are aware that the Kamambo-led board was suspended by the SRC making it virtually impossible for them to conduct any business on behalf of ZIFA.
“We are also aware that these actions from the suspended executive committee members are designed to attract FIFA’s attention and push for Zimbabwe to be banned from international football.
“We are reliably informed that the suspended executive directed the equally suspended General Secretary Mr Mamutse, to write a letter to FIFA to effect the ban,” said Kweza.
“The position by the majority of the Assembly members, most of them signed the petition calling for the EGM, is against the FIFA ban of any nature.
“The said Assembly members now find themselves suspended by the suspended executive committee. We collectively believe that football cannot be held at ransom by a few selfish individuals who are scared of facing the Assembly and answer to charges raised against them.
“The suspended executive committee is merely abusing the FIFA directive for the EGM to be convened after 3 April 2022. That should never be a tool to work against the interest of the football family and the country at large.”
Kweza said the move by the Kamambo-led board was meant to intimidate Assembly members ahead of the watershed April meeting.
“The idea is to eliminate the congress members by reducing the numbers of those calling for their revocation as that will see the members failing to achieve two thirds required for revocation to succeed.
“As the Assembly we note that the suspended executive committee admitted through one of their many communiques that they are incapacitated to conduct any ZIFA business, owing to the SRC suspension.
“It is their view that they could not call for the AGM as required by the statutes. The suspended executive committee once again failed to direct the disciplinary committee to deal with the issue of sexual harassment and match fixing allegations being faced by one of their own members, citing that they are suspended.
“We are now surprised that all of a sudden they now have the mojo and capacity to suspend members of the Assembly for merely exercising their right to call for an EGM,” said Kweza.
The suspended ZIFA CEO Mamutse, in his letters of suspension to Gwesela and Mpandare was adamant that the suspended board would not recognize the Sports Commission. All the suspension letters were copied to CAF and FIFA but omitted the Sports Commission.
Among the charges levelled against the ZIFA Assembly Members was the “plotting the illegal removal of a constitutionally elected ZIFA Board” and “supporting third party interferences in football through utterances that support the SRC action on the Board.”
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