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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo, is expected to appear in court in Harare today in a test case for domestic football which has always been marred by allegations of electoral fraud.
Kamambo, who has always maintained his innocence, is accused of bribing about 32 councillors to vote for him at the last election that ushered him into office two years ago. He got 35 votes to Philip Chiyangwa’s 24.
The COSAFA boss withdrew from a possible second round, handing Kamambo victory, after the first round had failed to settle the contest.
Kamambo had won more votes in the first round but failed to secure enough backing, according to the ZIFA constitution, to win the contest without the need for a second round. Successive ZIFA elections have been marred by allegations of vote-buying with councillors, who elect those who serve on the board, always being accused of accepting financial gifts, in exchange for votes.
But, this is the first time the issues have spilled into the courts of law.
One of the ZIFA councillors, accused of receiving the hush money, broke his silence in June and said the funds he received were not a bribe, but a reimbursement for his expenses.
Hwange-based ZIFA Southern Region board member, Mehluli Thebe, told our sister newspaper, Chronicle, he received $300, through the EcoCash platform, from Matoka two weeks before the elections.
The money, he said, was for him to travel to Bulawayo to hear Kamambo speak about why he should be voted the ZIFA boss.
“Never would I have used my own money to come to Bulawayo to listen to a candidate,’’ said Thebe. “I made that clear to him so he then sent someone, Robert (Matoka, who was Kamambo’s campaign manager), to EcoCash me $300 for transport and accommodation at a Bulawayo hotel.
“And, I came, listened to what he had to offer for Zimbabwean football (and) then the next day I went back to Hwange.
Online Reporter