Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA’s new leadership have up-scaled their bid to strengthen governance structures and turn the football association into an enviable entity which both the executive committee and the nation can be proud of.
And in their quest for professionalism in the administration of the game Nqobile Magwizi’s management have contracted a team of consultants to undertake a skills and human resources audit at the secretariat.
This also comes as one of Magwizi’s two deputies – Kennedy Ndebele – is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a two-day workshop on compliance.
Ndebele’s participation at the fifth edition of this FIFA indaba is seen as part of the commitment that the executive committee, which swept into power on January 25, have made to turning ZIFA around.
FIFA, through the Normalisation Committee, kick-started the ZIFA reforms process before handing over the reins to a duly-elected executive committee.
And in a bid to get a clearer picture of who is who at ZIFA, Magwizi’s leadership have undertaken a skills audit of the staff they have.
ZIFA have in the last few weeks, also advertised coaching and managerial posts for the different junior men’s and women’s national teams.
Unlike some of his predecessors, who would just purge staff upon election based on factionalism and cronyism, Magwizi has sought to use scientific methods through a skills audit and competency profiling exercise that will be carried by an independent body.
The ZIFA executives also allayed fears that there would be a massive staff clear-out under their regime.
“We hope this message finds you well. In our commitment to enhancing organisational efficiency and ensuring our staff is well-equipped to achieve strategic objectives, we will be conducting a Skills Audit, Competency Profiling, and Comprehensive Human Capital Audit in the coming days,’’ read part of the communique to staff.
“To facilitate a smooth and effective process, a Human Capital Consulting firm, Samara Corporate Consultants Limited, has been engaged to conduct this project. Their expertise will be instrumental in identifying opportunities for staff development, aligning talent with business needs, and implementing best practices in human capital management.
“This initiative aims to support career growth and operational efficiency, and should not be a cause for concern. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has the necessary skills and competencies to excel in their roles.
“The scope of the intervention will include the following:
Key Aspects of the Process:
Assessment of academic qualifications and professional experience
Identification of skills gaps to inform training and development plans
Review of competency standards across all job roles
Employee and supervisor discussions and input for accurate profiling
Audit of HR policies and procedures to align with best practices
“We understand that change can be unsettling and bring uncertainty, but we want to assure you that this initiative is designed to support your career development and enhance operational effectiveness.
“The insights gained will help shape training, development, and career advancement opportunities across the organization, creating a more engaged and productive team.
“The team of consultants will be working on and off site during this review process. They will require the whole team’s participation and corporation for this exercise to be a success. We will communicate the outcomes of this exercise upon completion,’’ ZIFA said.
The exercise is expected to begin with a meeting at the ZIFA headquarters today.
On the same day away in South America, Ndebele will join global football leaders in Brazil for the tw0-day FIFA workshop.
In a brief statement, ZIFA said Ndebele’s participation also underlined the association’s bid to ensure integrity, sustainable growth and financial governance among the rocks upon the new administration is built.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is pleased to announce that ZIFA vice-president, Mr. Kennedy Ndebele, will be attending the 5th FIFA Compliance Summit, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 9 to 10 April 2025.
“The summit brings together global football governance leaders to engage on critical themes that underpin the sustainable growth and integrity of the game.
“The key areas of focus for this year’s edition include:
- Governance in the sports industry
- How good governance drives football excellence
- A practical guide to financial governance
- Promoting ethical excellence
- Risk management in football administration,’’ ZIFA said.
The association also indicated the need to for their administration to “leverage on technology and artificial intelligence in internal audit functions’’.
“Mr. Ndebele’s participation underscores ZIFA’s commitment to strengthening governance structures and aligning with international best practices in transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct within football administration.
“The insights and knowledge gained from the summit will contribute meaningfully to the association’s on-going reforms and strategic efforts aimed at enhancing the credibility, efficiency, and sustainability of football in Zimbabwe’’.
Given that any association is as good as it’s secretariat, the move by the Magwizi leadership to implement some of the best international practices is expected to find favour with FIFA, who provide some of the financing through the FIFA Forward Fund.
