Mamelodi set for Zim visit

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
FIFA Development officer for Southern Africa Ashford Mamelodi is expected in the country at the end of this month as the world soccer governing steps up efforts to assist bankrupt Zifa to overcome their mounting debts and restore order at the national association.
Mamelodi is no stranger to Zimbabwe with the Botswana-based official having made numerous visits to the country to assist Zifa in the implementation of the Goal Project, supervising the association’s election and assessing various other programmes carried by Fifa in this nation.

On his latest mission, the former Cosafa secretary-general will be particularly interested in the measures that Zifa have taken since the adoption of their four-year strategic plan.

The move by Fifa to send Mamelodi to establish the situation on the ground, and find ways in which the world soccer governing body can assist Zifa, is understood to have brought a great degree of optimism on the association’s president Cuthbert Dube and his board.

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed that Mamelodi was due to visit them as they prepare to unveil their long term-debt servicing strategies.

“Fifa are also concerned with our plight and would want to find ways to assist us retire these debts,’’ Mashingaidze said.

Mamelodi’s visit comes just as Dube on Thursday made a passionate appeal to Zifa’s creditors to be patient with them.

Dube also revealed in a statement published on the Zifa website that he had been tasked by the board to lead a team that would negotiate with creditors and also pursue the association’s own debtors in their bid to balance their books and pay what they owe.

“While we note our creditors’ rights to payment for services rendered to the association, l would like to passionately appeal to all our stakeholders to bear with us as we continue with efforts to implement a debt-servicing and turnaround plan to cater for all those issues.

“Much as it is not a secret that Zifa has serious financial problems – with a debt of nearly $6 million – I would also like to assure all our creditors and suppliers that my board remains committed to servicing all debts assumed under this council’s current tenure, and those inherited in March 2010.

“With this action on course, underpinned by the strategic plan to be commissioned later this month, I must also emphasise that these strategies have the buy-in of key stakeholders in football.

“Crucially, the essence of that on-going dialogue is to hammer out payment plans and stave off the execution of writs, which would have meant the removal of property at Zifa House and Village.

“While we are happy to announce that the process has been encouraging and very progressive, some creditors have committed to writing off or discounting a portion of their debts with Zifa.

“Regrettably, there are some who have still maintained a confrontational stance by sustaining court cases, but we are hopeful that these on-going efforts will bring us a win-win situation.”

Fifa have long expressed that they were keen to assist Zifa to get out of the woods with the world soccer governing body also appealing to the government to chip and assist Zifa financially.

Mamelodi is also aware that the rate at which Zifa have to fight of writs of execution could hamper efforts to take the association’s Goal Project to another level.

Zimbabwe is already lagging behind other countries in the region and continent at large in the implementation of the Goal Project which is funded by the world body once a country’s project proposal has been approved.

But with Zifa’s debts far outweighing what they are owed by their affiliates and other institutions, it appears even Fifa have a big task on their hands in trying to help resuscitate their member association.

Dube also acknowledged that revenue inflows at Zifa, who often for long periods without paying their employees, were limited.

“As you know, the scenario we are confronted with is not unique to the national association and hence the strategies we have adopted to survive.

“Fellow Zimbabweans, I am also pleased to share with you that I was mandated by the Zifa board to lead this negotiation process in efforts to find amicable ways of liquidating our debts,” Dube said.