adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
AN outcry over Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s “imported” executive vice-president Colleen de Jong’s eligibility to hold office has come under the spotlight after revelations that a serving board member was supposed to be elevated.
Any one of the serving board members was supposed to have filled in the post of vice-president when it fell vacant following the resignation of Aisha Tsimba who had resigned to join the Sports Commission.
But, it has been reported that Falkenberg deliberately avoided any one of the board members to replace Tsimba and opted to “import” de Jong to take over, a move that has caused a storm in the ZRU corridors.
According to the ZRU constitution, the vice-president’s post was supposed to have been replaced by a serving board member, section 23 of the constitution stated that “Any casual vacancy occurring in the position of Director (elected board member) may be filled by the remaining Directors (elected board members already in office) from among appropriately qualified persons”.
However, former Young Sables assistant coach Falkenberg saw it fit to hand-pick de Jong for the post.
“Actually, Falkenberg was not interested in having any one of the board members take up the post and opted to look elsewhere. His first priority was former women’s rugby chairperson Judy (Judith Chiyangwa), but they did not agree as she turned down the offer.
“He also tried to convince Thoko (Sibanda) who was in the women’s committee on taking up the post, but she declined to take the post as well and this was when he opted to go for de Jong,” said a consultant working with the ZRU.
In 2010 Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa and Falkenberg were assistant coaches to Brighton Chivandire in the Under-20 set-up where de Jong was the administration manager, Jeanine Bryant team manager and Aaron Jani was the chairman.
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