Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE coming Zifa elections for the lower structures should mark a turning point for Zimbabwean football. The past two decades have turned every poll into a bruising, divisive affair. This is the moment to put the game ahead of personal battles.
There was a time when the process carried a sense of order. Before 2003, when Rafik Khan came in as Zifa president, elections didn’t tear the football family apart.
People backed leaders who had done real work at community level. They chose men whose contribution to the sport spoke louder than any campaign.
Today that trust has faded. Anyone with ambition, even without a traceable record in the game, can wake up in office. The system has drifted far from what once kept the sport grounded.
Last month, Zifa announced it was time to legitimise the terms of those who elected the current executive on January 25. The councillors’ mandate had lapsed in 2023. What followed was a crisis born of the suspension of Felton Kamambo and his board.
That pushed Fifa and the Sport and Recreation Commission to appoint a Normalisation Committee led by former Dynamos captain and chairman, Lincoln Mutasa.
Part of that committee’s job was to rebuild key structures. A proper finance department, a functional technical division, and clear pathways to elections.
This saw Chemai Hunidzarira appointed technical director and Joseph Sibindi brought in as education officer. Fifa then allowed the formation of an assembly in October last year and permitted it to vote in the executive in January.
The mandate they now seek will finally put that process on solid ground.
With fresh elections coming for Area Zone, provincial and regional structures, the football community has a small window to repair what years of infighting have destroyed. Vote buying and beer hall politics have become routine.
Meanwhile, the fans, the same people who stretch their last dollar to watch the game, are left with a product that shows little improvement year after year.
The decline is plain to see. Mediocre performances have become the norm across all levels. Even regional minnows are strolling past our Young Warriors, once a feared side in Southern Africa.
This election cycle is a chance for new faces to work alongside seasoned hands and move football forward. It’s also a test of conscience. Do those entrusted with the vote choose what benefits the game, or what fills their pockets?
For two decades, some councillors have mastered electioneering while offering nothing to the areas they claim to represent. They should step back and let committed football people steer the direction of the game. Everything begins with credible club representatives. People grounded in football values, who understand that the vote is a duty to their constituency, not a ticket to personal gain.
Zimbabwe has suffered from leaders who forget the mandate once they step into office. Too many have traded loyalty for allowances, hotel comforts and fleeting perks. The country once had administrators who were not wealthy, but who were driven by love for the game. The late Brian Harry, John Madzima, Peter Nemapare, Phil Hwata, Ndumiso Gumede and Nelson Chirwa set standards that made the sport worth believing in. They would be appalled by what football has become.
The Warriors’ victory at the 1980 Independence Celebrations tournament wasn’t an accident. It was the product of sound structures. Area Zones, junior leagues, city council sides and mine teams all fed into a strong club system. As the years passed, those structures were ignored, replaced by a culture of pleasing national office bearers instead of building the base.
Some administrators have clung to provinces and regions for decades without bringing fresh thinking or sponsorship. Whatever success Zimbabwe has enjoyed internationally has often been accidental rather than guided by a clear plan.
This must change. Zifa and the councillors who elect its leaders should demand accountability through proper audits and active competitions. Inter-district and inter-provincial programmes must be revived so that every corner of the football pyramid stays alive and competitive.
When December 15 passes, the Nqobile Magwizi executive will have a new support structure. If those elected truly want to serve, the system will have energy and drive. Too many have chased crumbs instead of chasing progress.
That is why it was refreshing to see the first ever colourful awards ceremony by the Zifa Southern Region. It showed what can happen when leaders value the game.
Club representatives must understand the weight of the decisions they will make. A careless vote hurts young players, coaches and the entire football chain.
Councillors don’t travel to Harare for bright lights and allowances. They go there to shape the future.
Zimbabwe football stands at a crossroads. The next step depends on whether those with the ballot choose to remain proxies or choose the game itself.
