Will the Zifa EGM yield anything?

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

SIX months after Zimbabwe Football Association councillors met and revoked the mandate of four members of the Felton Kamambo-led executive committee, the assembly congregate at yet another extra-ordinary general meeting in Harare on Saturday.

The major focus as the custodians meet in Harare is the forensic audit report that has picked up massive financial irregularities with the leaked draft report that has been circulating identifying financial leakages totalling almost US$2 million and over $100 million.

The loss of revenue is from selected areas, giving the impression that a full-scale audit would unearth even more rot.

The partial audit on the operations of the country’s biggest sporting association covers the period between December 1, 2018 and November 21, 2021.

Key to note in the report is a Fifa grant of US$182 700 that Zifa received on 20 December 2018, but the amount was not indicated on the association’s books of accounts for 2018.

Zifa’s accountant reportedly told investigators a new bank account had been opened on the day when Fifa deposited the grant but was not disclosed to the association’s accounts department, hence the omission of the grant from the financial statements.

But as the Zifa assembly meets, the custodians of the game will expect that besides the forensic audit report, the interim executive led by Gift Banda gives an activity report of what has been happening since April.

The councillors expect a briefing on the restructuring process of Zifa and deliberate on some of the recommendations made by the Sports and Recreation-appointed Zifa Restructuring Committee.

But to implement recommendations from the restructuring committee, the Zifa interim executive whose tenure ends in two-months might seek extension of their mandate in order to implement the recommendations from the Restructuring Committee.

Besides missing out on timelines for football reforms, a constitutional crisis is also looming at the association as it is impossible for the present leadership to arrange elections in line with their own statutes.

The current board came into office in December 2018 and their office runs until December. The Zifa Congress is also expected to be out of office by then.

 

Again, a dilemma that they face is that Zifa can’t hold elections or make constitutional reforms without the input and direction of Fifa. To do so, Zimbabwe needs to have its suspension lifted by the world governing soccer body.

It is for this reason that the Zifa councillors will also be keen to know what stage is Zifa at in terms of Zimbabwe’s readmission to international football.

— @ZililoR