adminAugustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
NOMINATIONS for the top posts in the Zifa board open next week and the big question, in the football family, is whether Cuthbert Dube will seek another four-year term as president of the association.
The Zifa boss has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with questions over his role as chief executive of the Premier Services Medical Aid Society, leading to his premature retirement from that post.
Zifa are set to hold their elections for the board members when Assembly converges on March 29 with the highlight being the election of the president, the deputy president and the board members for finance and development portfolios.
Candidates interested in the Zifa board posts have to throw in their nominations 30 days before the election, which means that all names have to be in the hat by the end of next week.
The Zifa Electoral Court will sit on March 22 to vet the nominees ahead of the elections.
Since last year, has been declaring that he still had some unfinished business in football and that he would be seeking another term of office.
Dube has pointed to the progress at the Zifa Village and his spirited battle to clean the game as some of his main success stories .
But, in the wake of events that have seen him being stalked by negative media headlines, questions are now being asked if he will stand for another term.
Sources close to Dube said he is ready put his name in the hat for the top post with a team led by former Buymore chairman, Wavell Gunda, and Zifa Supporters’ Liaison officer, Simeon Jamanda, ready to drive his campaign.
“Dube has always stated that he will stand for re-election and he thinks he has more time to devote to football after leaving PSMAS where he worked full time,” said the sources.
“The situation on the ground shows that Dube still has the confidence of the Assembly.”
Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi and Charlie Jones are being touted as potential challengers to Dube while Patrick Hokonya is also said to eyeing the same post.
Speculation is also high that banker Desmund Ali is also interested in coming as board member along Ben Gwarada and Pharaoh Jele.
Sprouting Football Academy director, Calvin Nyazema, is tipped to contest the race for the post of board member development against former Zimbabwe Saints chairman Elliot Manduna.
Omega Sibanda and former Highlanders chairman Ernest Sibanda could throw their names for the vice-presidency.
Current first vice-president Ndumiso Gumede said he is not seeking re-election amid speculation that he has been tipped to take over a post within the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture.
However, there is another camp that feels Dube is not going to contest once he finds a suitable candidate to back his vision.
“Dube may not be standing because he has been under attack at PSMAS and ZBC and there are issues about sponsors, will they want to come on board if he remains in charge? “That’s why there are attempts to reach out to George Mbwando,” said the sources. This week, the Zifa election roadmap moves to the regional areas where candidates vie for the posts of chairman in the Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern Regions.
Elections for the provincial offices bearers in women’s football will also be held over this weekend.
Meanwhile, former Zifa board member Francis Zimunya, who is now fronting the Lifelong Footballers Trust of Zimbabwe, said there was need for the Assembly to elect a board that should be able to bring change to the game.
“It will be wrong for people to look only at the Zifa presidency without looking at the other board members. One swallow does not make a summer.
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