Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) has said it will investigate allegations of electoral misconduct levelled against the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) by the Harare Basketball Association (HBA).
HBA accuses the BUZ executive committee of breaching procedural and structural deficiencies in the run-up to the January 25 elective general meeting at Mtshabezi High School in Gwanda.
The association last week sought the intervention of the SRC to help address their grievances.
HBA accuses BUZ president Joe Mujuru and his secretary-general Charmaine Chamboko of manipulating the union’s electoral process to favour their preferred outcome.
In its letter to the SRC, HBA called for nullification of the election outcome on grounds of gross misgivings in the electoral process.
“We wish to seek the intervention of your esteemed commission by way of nullifying what we opine to be a shambolic, shameful and fraudulent election.
“Be advised that prior to the election we, in writing, notified the then BUZ executive of our misgivings that in sharp contrast to the SRC’s code on good governance and elections that the incumbent president and secretary-general were the de facto and de jure election commission.
In other words, they were responsible for choosing who contests against them,” HBA wrote.
In response, the SRC said: “The Commission acknowledges receipt of your letter dated 9 February, contents of which have been noted.
Please be advised that the SRC is working on the matter and will revert to you soon.”
Mujuru said his association was open to any investigation.
“Look, HBA is welcome to take that route.
We are yet to get any communication from the SRC, but when they do engage us, we are ready to assist in whatever means necessary.
The SRC is welcome to investigate the matter.
As BUZ we are confident that the election was above board,” said Mujuru.
HBA is basing its case on the barring of Mashonaland Central from voting as well as the National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH) using a non-bonafide member to vote as voter manipulation.
Interestingly, Mashonaland Central, which was barred from the voting exercise acknowledged that it did not have a legal right to vote.
The provincial association’s recently elected president Brian Nyakambangwe conceded that they had failed to communicate in due time to BUZ about their impending elections therefore nullifying their eligibility to vote.
He said the province held its elections on January 26 at the SRC offices in Bindura, three days before the BUZ elections, primarily because their previous president Clarence Changata had abdicated his role and informed BUZ that the province no longer had structures.
As for the NAPH issue, it has since emerged that indeed Admire Chafa had been cleared to vote for the organisation.
– @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter