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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
TWO weeks after some concerned netball administrators petitioned the Sports and Recreation Commission over governance issues in the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina), an association of netball umpires have also taken the same route and raised a number of issues against Zina.
Top on their petition document was the rejection by Zina to register the Umpires’ Association as an affiliate despite assurances that the umpires were prepared to pay yearly affiliation fees to Zina.
They also cite political victimisation.
“As the Zimbabwe Netball Umpires’ interim Committee (ZNUC), we would like to make our appeal on the rejection of our application to become an affiliate of Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina.) As we have indicated, we are prepared to pay yearly dues which we will arrange with the Zina treasurer based on the size of our membership. In our application to Zina, we attached a copy of our constitution, minutes, a list of our interim officers and a list of our membership.
We wish to regularise our membership with Zina through the constituted subscriptions but Zina bluntly rejected our application citing that they already have such a committee. Our committee gathered that the same committee which is being referred to has never met to discuss and map an action plan,” reads the petition by the umpires which was also gleaned by Chronicle Sport.
The umpires said Article 25 that Zina referred to in their rejection of their membership, was in fact not correct.
“According to the SRC-registered Zina Constitution, Article 25 is for Appeals and Statutes Committee.We are appealing to you as you are the board governing sports in Zimbabwe and we expect you to act accordingly.
The umpires said their responsibility was to officiate at games regardless of who organised them.
They accused the Leticia Chipandu-led Zina executive committee of victimisation.
“Zina has no mandate whatsoever of writing letters to people’s workplaces labelling them opposition political party members.
“We have our umpires who decided to leave Zina and after leaving, their bosses were given letters by Zina saying they were opposition members, which was not true.
“As we speak some were denied promotions, some transferred from their stations due to that letter written to their workplaces.
“Surely this is gross abuse of office and power and we are totally against that, sport should unite us not divide or harass people,” wrote the umpires.
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