PSL hits back at suspended ZIFA board

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE Premier Soccer League have taken a strong stand against the suspended ZIFA board’s feeble attempts to cripple the league by targeting their chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, and the leadership at the country’s traditional “Big Three’’ clubs — Dynamos, Highlanders and CAPS United.

The suspended ZIFA board, which is facing an internal revolt from the association’s Members of the Assembly, took their desperate battle for survival a notch up when they dispatched suspension letters to Ndebele, Dynamos chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa, Johnfat Sibanda of Highlanders and CAPS United shareholder and vice-president Nhamo Tutisani.

A statement from the Premier Soccer League yesterday said the move by the suspended ZIFA board members was meant to intimidate the clubs’ representatives and foment chaos in the league ahead of the proposed extraordinary general meeting that has been requested by the ZIFA Assembly.

The EGM is set to discuss the failing domestic football and it was indicated on the agenda that the Congress will revoke the mandate of some members of the beleaguered ZIFA board.

The move by the suspended ZIFA board, which also targeted ZIFA councillors that have been playing a leading role in the planning of the EGM, has been viewed as a desperate attempt to ensure the meeting fails to take place.

But it emerged yesterday that the Premier Soccer League clubs, who make up a significant part of the assembly, have unanimously agreed to petition the revocation of the mandate of the Felton Kamambo-led board.

The league also dismissed the suspensions against their officials as a nullity, in a statement signed by the chief executive officer, Ndebele.

“The Premier Soccer League has noted with concern that some of the members of the suspended ZIFA Executive Committee have sent correspondence purportedly suspending the leaders of CAPS United, Dynamos, Highlanders and Manica Diamonds Football Clubs together with the PSL Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kennedy Ndebele.

“The Premier Soccer League condemns this shocking behaviour that is tantamount to vindictive and intimidatory tactics by the three suspended Executive Committee members.

“It is surprising that despite being a member of the suspended Executive Committee, the PSL Chairman, Mr Farai Jere was not invited to this so called Board meeting which effected these suspensions.

“We would like to categorically state that an attempt to divide the Premier Soccer League family will not be tolerated.”

However, it has been business as usual in the PSL. The league has slated the purported suspensions as a “nullity and of no force and effect” since the members of the ZIFA board that carried out the decisions are themselves under suspension from the Sports and Recreation Commission.

The ZIFA board was suspended by the Sports Commission last November facing a series of allegations ranging from mismanagement of funds to accusations of sexual harassment against female referees.

“It is on record that the ZIFA Executive Committee and the ZIFA Chief Executive Officer were suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission on 16 November 2021 and 27 November 2020 respectively. The suspensions of the said PSL officials are therefore illegal and of no force and effect,” said the PSL.

The ZIFA board was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission last November and their woes worsened when members of the Assembly requested for a special extraordinary general meeting, which could result in the revocation of the mandate of some members of the board.

While some of the members have accepted their fate, the paranoid trio of Felton Kamambo, Phillemon Machana and Bryton Malandule have desperately been kicking in every direction.

They also targeted eight ZIFA councillors who have been at the forefront of the special extraordinary general meeting that is set to recall the mandate of members of the board.

Some of the allegations by the Sports Commission have also been raised by the members of the ZIFA Assembly. The councillors have given a strong hint they will revoke the mandate of the board because of the serious nature of the allegations.

Pressure is piling on the beleaguered ZIFA board after the PSL said the clubs were in total agreement with the disgruntled councillors who have called for the revocation of the ZIFA board’s mandate.

“The PSL Governors unanimously agreed to petition the revocation of the mandate to Executive Committee Members as provided in the ZIFA Statutes after observing a number of irregularities, these being poor governance, lack of transparency and failing to respect the Judicial bodies’ decisions among a plethora of other issues.

We stand by our suspended PSL Board members and Chief Executive Officer,” said the PSL statement.