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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA acknowledge the Government have other huge obligations, which require immediate attention in the crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and cannot be pushed into providing subsidies to keep football afloat.
The association insist it can’t push the Government, to provide financial relief, simply because the Government of Botswana have unveiled a package to support football in that country.
A number of Zimbabwean players and coaches ply their trade in the Botswana top-flight league and each player is set to receive about US$206, as part of the package unveiled by the Government in that country, to support football.
Each football player in the Botswana First Division will receive US$124.18 as part of that bailout package.
The payment is a subsidy to help cover for players’ salaries from April to June.
Botswana Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Minister, Tumiso Rakgare, on Monday confirmed the Government’s plan to help the elite and second-tier leagues with player salary subsidies.
“The monies will be directly deposited to player’s bank accounts to avoid situations where teams might use such funds for their daily expenses”.
Rakgare said referees will be assisted through the FIFA relief fund, as agreed with the Botswana Football Association, which the country’s football controlling body hope to receive from the world football governing body.
ZIFA board member, in charge of finance, Philemon Machana, said it was important to appreciate that each country’s situation was different.
“We pray to one day get there, maybe for now, our Government has other tight obligations, hopefully, it will get better and increased support will come to football, too,’’ he told The Herald.
The clubs in that country’s top-flight league will each get US$3 311.
The Zebras, the Botswana senior national football team, are in the same 2021 AFCON qualifying group as the Warriors and have one point, from their first two matches, and occupy third place.
The Warriors have four points, from as many matches, and are in second place, behind leaders and defending African football champions, Algeria, who have a perfect record of six points.
Zambia anchor the group with no point from their first two matches.
“I wish to take this opportunity to convey a vote of gratitude and thanks to the Government of Botswana and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture with the announcement made today regarding allowances availed to football and arts for months of April, May and June 2020,’’ BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti, said in a statement on their official website.
“We accept that Government is under serious financial strain during this difficult period of Covid-19. We, therefore, immediately acknowledge the P2500 (about US$206) stipend for each Premier League player and P1500 (about US$124) for each player in the National First Division as a welcome development.
“This stipend is strictly for purposes of cushioning the effects of the pandemic on the socio- economic lifestyles of players and technical members involved in running the clubs.
“This will also go a long way in giving club leaders a reprieve during this time. Club leaders and owners are custodians of football events and this financial assistance is critical in sustaining players and eventually the clubs they represent.
“The BFA is truly humbled by this noble gesture of unity. We have since availed P40 000 (about US$3 311) to BPL clubs as a reprieve to help clubs mitigate these devastating consequences.
“The BFA and its partners, including Government, continue to discuss sustainable means to get our football out of the woods completely.’’
There has been confusion, even here in Zimbabwe, with some Premiership clubs claiming they deserve a share of the annual grant that come from FIFA.
The BFA said that money is for their operational costs.
The allocation to their Premiership clubs, the BFA said, would be recovered from the grants paid to the teams and had nothing to do with the annual US$500 000, which the association got from FIFA as part of their annual grant.
“The BFA, like any other FIFA member association, receives US$1 000 000 for its annual operations,’’ the BFA said. “The money is disbursed in two instalments of US$500 000 every January (and) the second disbursement comes every July of the reporting year.
‘’These funds are based on the 10 points agenda items set by FIFA to have been achieved. The same are audited according to that criteria.
“In an effort to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19 on Member Associations, the second disbursement aforementioned has been moved from July to May 2020.
“This was done to, obviously, help the Association to continue operating during this tough period and to avoid football structures from collapse.’’
The BFA, just like ZIFA, have also lobbied the world football governing body to try and provide their clubs and leagues with financial relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“FIFA has promised to assist their 211-member associations from what has been termed a FIFA-relief fund. Botswana Football Association, as a member, has been asked to submit its request on the COVID-19 relief,’’ the BFA president said.
“After consultation with its members, the BFA has duly complied and now awaits the response from the mother body. FIFA is still going through its governance approval processes.
“Once finalised, Member Association will be notified of the amounts disbursed, to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19. The assistance, according to FIFA, will be done (according to) each country’s needs.’’
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