WHAT A SURVIVOR!. . . Mutasa lives to lead another day

Petros Kausiyo

LINCOLN Mutasa has been given the responsibility to organise elections for the ZIFA board, within the next nine months, after he was retained by FIFA as boss of the normalisation committee.

Barring any dramatic last-minute changes, Mutasa will be given another nine-month stint at ZIFA but this time with one major task to deal with, that of holding the association’s elections.

The extension comes despite the former Dynamos chairman’s struggles with leading ZIFA since his appointment on July 11, 2023.

FIFA head of deveoopment programmes for Africa, Solomon Mudege, is in the country following the expiry of the Normalsiation Committee’s initial mandate on June 30.

Mudege is in the company of the world body’s regional development manager for Southern Africa David Fani.

FIFA director member associations Africa, Gelson Fernades, and the senior manager member associations Sarah Solemale did not travel to Harare.

They have been joining their colleagues, virtuallly, during the series of meetings that Mudege lined up to address the state of ZIFA and the Zimbabwean game.

The FIFA officials, who flew in on Tuesday night, met with the Normalisation Committee for a lengthy indaba on Wednesday, after which Mutasa’s tenure was extended.

But there was no such joy for former Highlanders defender, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, who was dropped from the Normalisation Commmittee along with Mutasa’s deputy Cynthia Malaba.

FIFA, however, retained ex-Mighty Warriros skipper and coach Rosemary Mugadza and lawyer Nyasha Sanyamandwe.

“FIFA had considered bringing in a whole new Normalisation Committee but there were fears that appointing new people could delay the whole bid to hold ZIFA elections because these new members would need time to settle in,’’ the sources said.

“So, it was resolved to carry on with those that are already there in the system and then tweak the composition of the Normalisation Committee.

“Going forward, FIFA want Mutasa and his committee to ensure that the ZIFA Congress hold an extraordinary meeting for the purposes of deliberating on and adopting the constitutional amendements.

“FIFA want the ZIFA elections to have been held by the first quarter of next year, which would mean that the remainder of the year must be used to start the elections for the affilate bodies.”

After meeting with Mutasa and the Normalisation Committee on Wednesday, Mudege and his team yesterday held lenghty discussions with chief executive Yvonne Mapika Manwa and her entire secretariat.

“The secretariat has now been handed more responsibilities to run the affairs of ZIFA while the Normalisation Committee focuses on ensuring that elections are held under an amended consititution.”

Mudege and his crew are this morning expected to have an indaba with the Sports and Recreation Commission’s board.