Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
FORMER Zifa president, Vincent Pamire has called on football stakeholders to respect the football ecosystem and allow everyone to participate.
His call comes at a time when Zifa delegates representing Assembly will participate in the Harare annual general meeting on Friday.
It is expected to come up with changes to the constitution that will shape the electoral processes and running of the game into the future.
Zimbabwe football has not been at peace since Leo Mugabe was ousted in June 2003. Squabbles and suspensions have been the order of the day.
In 2022, the last elected board, led by Felton Kamambo, in 2018 was fired at the end of its four-year cycle alongside the whole Assembly except the PSL.
The same councillors that got the nation to have a Zifa Normalisation Committee put in place on July 11, 2024 will be the ones meeting on Friday to pave a new way forward.
Pamire believes it is a half-hearted approach to resolving the football administration crisis that has become endemic and looks set to continue unless Zimbabweans get realistic. He said nothing good is expected from the same councillors and that elections should be bottom to top but as things stand, he fears in January there could be elections for the board, which would be an illegality.
Zimbabwe football elections always start at Area Zone level and the nation awaits the electoral calendar and roadmap.
Fifa demanded at the extension of the Normalisation Committee’s brief to have elections wrapped up by January 2025.
He is not happy with demands in the proposed new constitution that candidates should have “5- O Levels”. This he believes may see players and former referees ruled out.
“Football is a people’s game. I don’t understand why there are concerted efforts to shut out those who know the game like former players. It is no secret, many were not talented academically, others were but chose football for various reasons like escaping poverty, wrong circle of friends, we cannot today crucify them. They have to have a hand in the development of the game.
“Respect the soccer ecosystem and allow everyone to participate. Soccer was there before we came on board and left, it shall always be there. It has got its own network that works and it has to be respected.
It worked before and we branded Zimbabwe football, we got the world to respect who we are in the game. Why try to invent the wheel?” said Pamire.
He called on stakeholders to respect the game and put the sport and nation first. He said it was unfortunate that Zimbabwe seems to be the only country where those who know are shut out of the game in preference for those who want something out of it.
Pamire said Kingmakers had over the years messed up the game for selfish needs that were not sanctioned by constituencies they represent.
“It is sad we have many being heard saying ‘zvangu zvaita’ when results at Zifa are announced. These are selfish greedy individuals who have gotten us into this mess where our football has been run by a Normalisation Committee. We risk the danger of staying in murky waters if we do not get real and make decisions that grow the game and industry. Already, some candidates are being milked.
Zifa members elected in 2018 and those co-opted along the way met Walter Magaya in Bulawayo on Friday evening at a secret location in Bulawayo and resolved to back him as a block.
Pamire called on councillors to consult their constituencies and get their mandate on the way forward for the game.
Online Reporter