Women’s football mum on Covid-19 relief funds

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
CLUBS playing in the Women’s Super League have allegedly been gagged from revealing how much Zifa deposited into their accounts in Covid-10 bailout funds.

It has also emerged yesterday that the Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League received over $5.6 million and not $4.8 million which Zifa announced.

Early this week Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela, said ZWSL received  $4 875 000, but correspondence by Zifa chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse to ZWSL chairperson Barbra Chikosi, which Chronicle Sport is in possession of, shows that the Super League was given $5 655 001.

Clubs that spoke to Chronicle Sport yesterday confirmed that money had been wired into their accounts, but were not in a position to reveal how much they got raising suspicion that they have been gagged or the clubs don’t want their players to know how much they received.

“I can confirm that we have received something; the money was deposited into our accounts, but as for how much we got, I am afraid I cannot tell you,” said one club official without elaborating.

But it is also the disparity in the publicised amount and what the association actually remitted to ZWSL that boggles the amount and raises more questions than answers.

In his letter, Mamutse said at a board meeting held on July 9, the Zifa executive committee decided on the areas that the Covid-19 funds will be employed and the funds will cover areas such as resuscitation of football in all leagues under Zifa, assisting in players and staff welfare, assisting in equipment and medicals regarding the pandemic as well as meeting administrative costs.

“Accordingly, you have been granted a sum total of ZWL$5 655 001 as our affiliate and you are free to choose and fund using these resources only areas within the broad categories given above which you decide are more in critical need of these resources. You are, however, strictly advised that the funds are to be used specifically for football business under the broad guidelines as given and that they shall not be used to meet  any other expenses outside the stated cost centres.

“Accordingly you shall be requested to provide full acquittals monthly of the funds until fully utilised and Zifa shall carry out audits to ensure strict adherence to usage of the funds in line with its and Fifa guidelines,” wrote Mamutse.