adminRicky Zililo Sports Reporter
NOMINATIONS for the Zifa regional positions opened yesterday with Zimbabwe Saints’ Musa Mandaza, Jabulani Chinyangarara and Elliot Manduna being frontrunners for the chairmanship.
Tawanda Ruzive of Quelaton is believed to be eyeing the vice-chairman’s position with incumbent Sydney Madzvimbo in the running for one of the board member positions.
By end of business yesterday no one had picked up nomination papers at the Zifa Bulawayo office. The nomination paper costs $50 and nomination fees have been pegged at $500.
According to sources within the Zifa Southern Region affiliates, Chinyangarara, Manduna, Mandaza and Ruzive have already started their campaigns.
Two camps have seemingly been set with Mandaza’s said to be enjoying a good lead, while Manduna’s is second and Ruzive on both teams’ list for the vice-chairmanship.
In separate interviews yesterday, both frontrunners confirmed their interest in the Zifa Southern Region hot seat.
Mandaza, a former Zifa Southern Region head who lost in the last election held in 2010, to Bulawayo businessman and now deputy mayor of the city, Gift Banda said he is contemplating on seeking another term. “The truth is I don’t want to rush to things and regret later. I was thinking of standing again but it all depends on the electorate.
“I have a passion for Southern Region football and I am thinking seriously about contesting the chairmanship but I haven’t made up my mind. Once I have made a decision you will know,” said Mandaza who is credited with forming the Central Region Soccer League.
The CRSL made it four promotional divisions with the Northern, Southern and Eastern having been existence for a while. It was felt then that the Southern Region teams were burdened with a lot of travel and that the number of teams from the provinces of Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and the Midlands in the Premiership was going down.
Now Zimbabwe has an awkward set up where up to 64 teams are fighting for promotion into the Premiership.
Mandaza could not be drawn into commenting about his running mates as sources had revealed that incumbent board member finance and Quelaton director Ruzive is his running mate as the vice-chairman, with Sydney Madzvimbo to seek re-election as a board member under the new constitution with lesser known Nkosilathi Fologo of Ntabazinduna earmarked for one of the board members’ seat.
Manduna, an active and vocal Zimbabwe Saints member seems to be chickening out of the elections due to some unprocedural things he alleged were going on.
He took a swipe at the Zifa president Cuthbert Dube who endorsed Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province’s Horace Ndubiwa and his executive’s candidature during a tour of the Zifa Village late last year.
“There are a number of irregularities that have put me off like the issue that you reported that Ndubiwa got a thumbs up to stand again by Zifa president Cuthbert Dube. Is that really okay? I know these football elections are more or less the same as political elections and if people haven’t said go and stand, why then must I push myself.
“I really contemplated on getting in but I thought otherwise because angifuni kuziyangisisa (I don’t want to embarrass myself). If clubs approach me, then I might consider contesting but as for now I don’t think I will pick up the nomination papers,” said Manduna whose camp is said to include Ruzive (vice chairman), Zimbabwe Saints’ organising secretary Jabulani Chinyangarara (secretary-general) and an unidentified member from Technosphere FC in Hwange.
Regional elections are set for the second weekend of February.
The outgoing Zifa Southern Region executive has acting chairman Morgan Dube, Madzvimbo (secretary-general), Ruzive (board member finance), Isaac Musendo (board member development) and Patrick Malunga (board member competitions).
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