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Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
ZIFA”s debt has now ballooned to US$5 million and the association will need to adopt a raft of measures to service it as they also need to raise another US$5,6 million to fund their activities this year. Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede made the revelations when he represented the association before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in Harare yesterday.
On Wednesday, Gumede told stakeholders during a tour of Zifa Village that Asiagate had fallen away and yesterday he begged parliamentarians to craft laws that will see people convicted for match-fixing being nailed in Zimbabwe.
“The people involved in match-fixing are in money making schemes, where they are prepared to play close to US$4 000 per player to throw matches,” said Gumede.
“The people involved in match-fixing will go to all extremes and we have been advised to contact Australia who now have a law for match-fixing.
“It is my humble submission that, Mr Chairman, it’s done at government-to-government level because, if a small fly like Gumede were to ask the Australian government, then they may throw it away.
“So I throw the ball in your (MPs) court.”
Zifa were summoned to present oral evidence on their challenges and the state of football in Zimbabwe by the legislators.
Gumede led his delegation that included chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, honorary members Alphinos Masunda and Cornelius Bganya, supporters’ liaison officer Simeon Jamanda and chief operating officer Joseph Mamutse.
Responding to a question posed by Mazowe West Member of Parliament Ray Kazembe on the state of their finances, Gumede said when his board took office in 2010, the debt stood around US$600 000 but some creditors later came and claimed they were owed various amounts by the previous boards.
“On paper the debt which we inherited was around US$600 000 but no sooner had we taken office than some companies started coming and claiming they were owed by the previous board,” said Gumede.
“This was in 2010, but one company came with a debt from 2007 that had been outstanding and this was not on the list we were given.
“There were many of these and we have a person who used to be a national team coach who manipulated his contract so that he could be paid more and, when these things are brought to the fore, we think people should be arrested for fraud.”
Gumede said the current economic environment, and the negative image that stalks Zifa, were making it difficult for the corporate sector to support football.
“I have been in football at senior level from 1974 and one of the best administrations I served in, was under (late) Nelson Chirwa,” said Gumede.
“But with all due respect, I do not mean this as an insult to anyone, we used to have a lot of white-owned companies scrambling to support football and we had to turn away some of them or referred them to lower leagues.
“They knew that football was an avenue to market their products and but today whatever little we are given, we take. Something has gone wrong and we should not ignore the economic situation we are in.”
Gumede said Zifa were struggling to market themselves as a brand as sponsors were cautious to engage them because of their battered image, which he partly blamed on the media.
However, Kazembe said media had a fundamental right to question Zifa as a public office and Zifa needed to clean up its image.
“Funding will not come if people hear (from the media) a lot of things about poor administration at Zifa. I am not saying that you (Zifa) have done something wrong but there is no smoke without fire and the media, when they report, there could be something wrong,” said Kazembe.
Gumede said Zifa were making efforts to spruce up their image and could soon be building a new headquarters with the assistance of a US$500 000 grant availed by Fifa, once land is available.
“We now have a marketing manager and have set up a Zimbabwe Football Trust to mobilise resources for Zifa,” said Gumede.
“Our Zifa Village is also one project that can generate income because we are opening it up and we have engage Fifa to build our marketing profile.
“We want to ask the MPs to put in place legislation so that every business in Zimbabwe is charged something like 1 percent towards social responsibility or a sports fund.
“The Sport and Recreation Commission should then distribute this amount according to the sporting disciplines and I am sure all sports will go far.”
Gumede said there should be tax rebates for companies that directly fund sport.
“It’s a chicken and egg situation for us to turn our football fortunes around. For us to do well we need money but at the moment money will not come unless we are doing well,” said the veteran football administrator.
Online Reporter