March out Mash, councillors say

Ishemunyoro Chingwere – Sports Reporter

SOME Zifa councillors loyal to Cuthbert Dube have advised the embattled Zifa president to ditch his blue-eyed boy Jonathan Mashingaidze ahead of a crucial October 3 meeting.

Dube faces a vote of no confidence at the indaba, and some in his clique believe his survival chances are diminished by having Zifa chief executive Mashingaidze as his wingman.

The Dube loyalists have tasked outspoken Midlands provincial chairman Brian Chishanga to “talk some sense into the (Zifa) president”.

Chishanga missed the explosive July 25 Zifa AGM which scheduled the October meeting, but has quickly sprung into action as he leads a campaign to save a character many critics say is an “enemy of football”.

The veteran administrator, a strident Dube loyalist who believes criticising the Zifa boss is taboo, said: “Everybody is agreeable that the current state of our football is not what we would have ideally wanted. But the problem is not primarily with Dube as you guys in the media have made the nation to believe.

“As councillors, we are much closer to the goings on and most of us are of the view that the chief executive is not doing his job well.

“We have been caucusing as councillors and most of us are of the view that we can get a fresh and much needed impetus if the CEO was to step aside. It is for this reason that I will meet (Dube) and tell him that the councillors are not happy with the way Mashingaidze is carrying out his duties, and kindly request that he be re-assigned or steps aside.”

His view was echoed by a number of councillors, who unlike the bullet-biting Chishanga, chose to criticise the man known as Mash under the blanket of anonymity.

“The reason why people are pushing Dube out is to get a president who will do away with Mashingaidze.

“We hope we will meet the president before October 3 and tell him that if he doesn’t solve the Mashingaidze problem, he might as well kiss goodbye to the Zifa presidency,” said a councillor.

Efforts to get a comment from Dube were futile.