Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IN a dramatic and unprecedented move, the Sports and Recreation Commission has suspended long reigning Zimbabwe Netball Association president Leticia Chipandu, a decision that sends shockwaves through the sporting world and marks a seismic turning point in the country’s netball history.
The decision, announced yesterday, follows weeks of intense scrutiny triggered by Zimpapers Sports Hub’s investigative reports, which unearthed disturbing evidence of missing funds, unpaid medical bills, and questionable financial practices under Chipandu’s watch.
Chipandu, who has ruled Zimbabwean netball for over two decades, is now out of office until the next ZINA elections, which, constitutionally, were due in the first quarter of the year, but have yet to be scheduled.
“The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) wishes to advise the public and netball stakeholders that the President of the Zimbabwe Netball Association (ZINA), Mrs Leticia Chipandu, has been suspended from all forms of netball administration in Zimbabwe with immediate effect,” reads part of the SRC’s statement.
This watershed moment comes after a closed door, emotionally charged indaba in Harare that brought together ZINA executives, league administrators, players, and sponsors including Nedbank Zimbabwe, the team’s main financial backer.
Sources who attended described the meeting as a “no-holds-barred intervention” where long standing grievances, including unaccounted sponsorship funds and ignored player injuries, were finally aired without fear.
Stakeholders demanded answers: Where is the Nedbank money meant for injured players? Why are players paying for national team kits? How long must we be ignored? Among the most damning testimonies were those surrounding Nicole Muzanenhamo and Thandekile Mahlangu, two national team players who suffered injuries while representing Zimbabwe, and were subsequently abandoned by the very institution that should have protected them.
Despite Nedbank confirming it released funds for Muzanenhamo’s treatment, the money never reached her or her club, GreenFuel. In both cases, the burden of medical care fell entirely on the club’s shoulders.
“We had no choice,” one Green Fuel official revealed. “ZINA went silent. Our player’s health was deteriorating and we had to step in. We paid everything, surgery, therapy, the lot.”
It wasn’t just neglect. Chipandu’s administration was also accused of extorting players, forcing them to pay US$70 for warm-up jackets ahead of the Scotland Invitational, despite full sponsorship. Attempts by clubs to cover the cost independently, and brand the jackets with their own logos, were rebuffed by ZINA.
When questioned, Chipandu flatly denied the allegations and accused the media and clubs of spreading lies.
But the backlash only grew.
This isn’t just a national shake-up, it has regional implications. Chipandu holds positions in international netball bodies, which could now be in jeopardy. Her suspension effectively renders her an illegitimate office bearer until ZINA holds fresh elections.
The SRC’s move was also buoyed by a separate probe launched by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) under case number 005818. ZACC has already begun interviewing affected players and clubs, including Green Fuel, as part of a wider investigation into ZINA’s governance.
“Some victims have already been interviewed,” confirmed a ZACC official. “More will follow, including former players and administrators. A full report is in the works.”
Though the SRC has not specified every finding from its investigations, sources say the evidence points to gross violations of financial protocols, systemic negligence, and possible abuse of office.
