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Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE ZIFA leadership have said they will not plunge into debates related to the suitability of Councillors to vote for the next substantive executive committee.
The Councillors have been accused of being the major contributor to the rot in Zimbabwe football because of corruption and electoral fraud.
However, ZIFA say their hands are tied.
“Regarding the credibility of the councillors, we all have different thoughts about different people and opinions but legally speaking if no case has been put forward, and then a conviction, at least, that can incriminate an individual member, we cannot do anything about it,” said ZIFA board member Nyasha Sanyamandwe.
“We also need to highlight that law is law. These people are independent, this is what the ZIFA statutes are saying.
“The councillors are coming and we are not even sure who is coming because they will give us their own delegates.”
ZIFA have said officials currently serving in the association’s structures should relinquish their posts before getting nomination for positions on the organisation’s executive committee.
The elections will be held at the Rainbow Towers on January 25, next year.
Sanyamandwe explained the election road map at a media conference attended by ZIFA chairman, Lincoln Mutasa, and another member of the committee Rosemary Mugadza.
The deadline for the submission of nominations has been set for December 11.
Candidates will need to pass an eligibility test before getting to the final shortlist, which will be confirmed on December 23.
“If you want to run for exco (executive committee) office but you are still holding a position within the membership structures, the electoral code is very clear.
“Issues to do with conflict of interest should not be tolerated. So, they should do the needful.”
Mutasa said they were acting on strict instructions from FIFA.
“We didn’t want to destabilise the system so we let the status quo continue,” said Mutasa.
“While we were looking at the other mandates, it became apparent that maybe we should start the elections.
“We proposed to start these elections from bottom upwards but it was pointed out to us by the FIFA guys that ‘look that’s not part and parcel of your mandate. ‘Your mandate is to conduct an exco election’.
“The board that comes in will be the one that will now have to address all those issues.
“As far as FIFA is concerned they just want the Zimbabweans to choose their own people. Clearly what we are trying to do is to be compliant. We want our football to be compliant in all phases,” said Mutasa.
The elections will be held in accordance with the new Electoral code and the new statutes of ZIFA to be adopted by the ZIFA Congress.
The ZIFA executive committee shall consist of 11 members including the presidents and the two vice-presidents, of which one should be a woman.
All aspiring members of the executive committee shall not have been previously convicted of any offence.
Online Reporter