NC member content with her contribution

Lovemore Dube

CHARTERED Accountant Cynthia Malaba whose term as a Zifa Normalisation Committee member ended on 30 June, is a happy woman as she feels she carried out her mandate to the letter.

Malaba and former AmaZulu and Highlanders defender Sikhumbuzo Ndebele’s one-year contracts were not renewed by Fifa. The two were part of a Normalisation Committee thrust into office to create management systems that would lead to elections and normalcy return to the Zimbabwe game on 11 July last year.

Chairman Lincoln Mutasa, former New Orleans, Zimbabwe Saints Queens and Mighty Warriors defender Rose Mugadza had their terms extended this week and given the mandate to ensure elections are held in the next nine months. Malaba challenged the football family to mature and accept tenets of corporate governance as the organisation would suffer from continued anarchy.

“I fulfilled my mandate which was to put finance systems. I am glad that by 30 June that was now all in place and we have a now functional Zifa financial office with systems. We now have systems of reporting to Fifa and how the finances are used and accounted for. The template is now there,” said Malaba. She painted a gloomy picture of how things were when they took over at Zifa.

There were no workers in the department of finance as they seemingly had left on frustration.“There was completely no finance department to talk about. People had left and even the laptop or computer used in the finance department was not there. I am happy I leave at a time when all is in the past and Zifa now has a fully-fledged finance office,” said Malaba.

Zifa have since engaged Harare-born Vusumuzi Nyamazana as head of the department. “I believe I have left Zifa in capable hands with a capable finance manager and department to run with systems that have an aligned reporting structure with Fifa,” said Malaba. Malaba disclosed that the financials for 2021 had been completed and circulated while the 2022 one has had most of the ground work done and is ready for submission.

She said she had a times found the work frustrating as there was pressure from both inside and outside that appeared to affect operations. “The football family must be mature and embrace corporate governance. I felt some resistance from outside and inside which I found unfortunate. I found some resistance from outside, some people at Fifa appeared to want to promote certain individuals inside to override controls.

“As my term has ended I am happy with having been identified to serve and also that I was able to leave at a time when I was done with my mandate,” said Malaba. She said at times when she stood on accounting principle and professionalism, those within Zifa head office would be quick to say: “Madam this is football.” She said she would not give in to bad practice as she wanted to protect Zifa finances and its integrity internally and externally.