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Takudzwa Chitsiga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Northern Region Soccer League leadership have defended their decision to crown Scottland as champions because Karoi United withdrew their appeal on the eve of the final day of their season.
NRSL chairman Martin Kweza said Karoi United were to blame for the mess that followed as the club then changed its position regarding the withdrawal of their appeal.
Kweza told Zimpapers Sports yesterday that the email they received from Karoi United, advising them that the appeal had been withdrawn, was from the club’s secretary — the man they communicate with on all issues to do with the club.
This is the first time the Northern Region Soccer League leadership has given their side of the story. “We had an email from the Karoi United club secretary stating that they were no longer interested in pursuing the case in which Scottland were awarded the points on a 3-0 scoreline.
“The letter was from the Karoi United secretary and it gave us the authority to crown Scottland.
“However, it was during the process of crowning Scottland as champions that the same Karoi United secretary wrote to ZIFA stating that the club had not withdrawn their case and were still willing to pursue it.
“The withdrawal by Karoi United was authentic since it was signed by the club’s secretary, who has been the person that we have been communicating with from the start. “We saw it correct to crown Scottland before Karoi United performed an about-turn on their legal challenge.”
Kweza added:
“We were prepared to wait but the same person who had written the letter advising us that they had withdrawn their appeal was the one who sent another letter that they had not withdrawn the appeal.
“It was only after the crowning that we received another letter. “We are following the process and we will defend our position.” The Karoi/Sottland case is set to be heard by the ZIFA Appeals Committee in Harare tomorrow.
However, there is concern that the hearing could be a violation of the ZIFA Statutes.
According to the ZIFA Constitution, the Appeals Committee cannot hear cases as the court of first instance within the judicial bodies of the association.
The Appeals Committee can only hear cases that would have been heard by the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee and ZIFA Ethics Committee.
The initial hearing was heard by a Northern Region tribunal and not the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee.
The ZIFA Constitution states in Section 63:
The Appeal Committee shall consist of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, and the necessary number of other members as determined in the Disciplinary and Ethics Code.
The function of the Appeal Committee shall be governed by the Disciplinary and Ethics Code of ZIFA.
The Appeal Committee is responsible for hearing appeals against decisions from the DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE AND FROM THE ETHICS COMMITTEE that are not declared final by the relevant regulations of ZIFA.
Decisions pronounced by the Appeal Committee may only be referred to CAS by the provisions in these statutes.
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