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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THIS week Fifa chief member association officer Kenny Jean-Marie sent an email to suspended Zifa chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse and raised a number of points regarding the suspension of the entire Zifa executive committee by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) last month.
Jean-Marie touched on a number of points that seemed to support the SRC’s move to slap the executive committee with an indefinite suspension over a number of allegations, including sexual harassment of female referees, which Zifa chose to ignore.
He, however, advised Mamutse to inform the SRC that the decision to suspend the Zifa board must be reversed by January 3 at the latest because the reasons raised by the country’s supreme sports controlling body for the suspension “were mere allegations without any proof of a final and binding ruling”.
“In this context, we consider that the aforementioned decisions by the SRC to suspend all members of the Zifa executive committee based on mere allegations without proof of a final and binding ruling, and subsequently to appoint a ‘restructuring committee’ in lieu of the Zifa executive committee would appear to be clearly contrary to the above statutory principles.
As a consequence, should such decisions be considered by Fifa to constitute undue third-party interference in the internal affairs of Zifa, the appropriate sanctions may have to be imposed on Zifa by the competent Fifa body. In such a case, all of Zimbabwean football would suffer the consequences, especially on the eve of the Afcon 2021,” Jean-Marie wrote.
So, according to Fifa, the sexual harassment of female referees by senior football officials is just a minor issue.
Fifa can’t tell Zimbabweans that as long as there is no proof of any form of abuse those claims remain mere allegations despite Zifa refusing to investigate. Sexual abuse by any nature cannot and should not be taken lightly under whatever circumstances.
For the record, Fifa told Chronicle Sport in October last year that it’s Investigatory Chamber of Fifa Ethics Committee will investigate the allegations to their logical conclusion. It’s now more than a year and nothing has been done.
Documentary evidence is there that Fifa were informed of the abuse and zoom meetings were held where Fifa officials themselves stated that all accused should be suspended while investigations are being carried out. Joyce Cook, the Fifa Chief Social Responsibility and Education Officer led those meetings with Chronicle Sport and stated clearly that all accused persons have to be suspended.
Jean-Marie therefore can’t suddenly label such serious allegations as minor.
Fifa Code of Ethics are clear on what has to happen when cases of such magnitude surface and even allegations are taken seriously until all accused are cleared.
The Code of Ethics states clearly that those who choose to do nothing upon getting information are equally liable. On September 12, 2020, the complainants wrote to Mamutse and outlined their case, stating names of the accused. They also raised fears to Mamutse and appealed to him to protect them but Mamutse allegedly informed the accused persons leading to the victimisation of the complainants.
They were completely frozen out of the game for highlighting the abuse.
Fifa, however, says these are just mere allegations. It’s ironic that Fifa’s insult to women in general and Zimbabwe in particular comes just a few days after the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Fifa and Jean-Marie can’t tell Zimbabweans that they have a zero tolerance to any form of sexual abuse when they have failed to institute formal investigations into these serious allegations.
Cook this month said the case had been referred to Caf for investigations, but if nothing happens within three months, they will investigate the matter themselves. She said this 12 months after being informed of the abuse.
Careers have long been lost along the way. It’s a shame that Fifa has elected to dismiss the sexual harrassment complaints as mere allegations without investigating.
It’s also embarrassing that Fifa statutes tend to protect criminality by screaming third party interference when a properly constituted competent body takes action against the accused.
Zifa can’t operate above national laws and sexual harassment in any form will never be tolerated in this country.
If it’s acceptable at Fifa, they must keep it in Zurich and leave us to rid our society of this pandemic.
If the allegations are “mere” as Fifa states in its email, then why not allow investigations to prove that.
Online Reporter