adminZIFA presidential aspirants, Phillip Chiyangwa and Trevor Carelse Juul will know whether they are eligible to contest for the December 5 plebiscite on Sunday after the electoral committee completes drawing the final list of candidates.
Other presidential candidates, James Takavada and Leslie Gwindi had their papers accepted without any problems by the electoral committee.
Zifa spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, told Post Sport that the electoral committee will meet today (Friday) to verify eligibility of candidates and make their deliberations public by Sunday.
“Electoral committee meets on Friday (today) to draw final list of eligible candidates. The committee will look into those issues (eligibility of Chiyangwa and Juul) on Friday (today), but the final list of eligible candidates will be published on November 15 in accordance with the election roadmap,” said Gwesela in a telephone interview from Gweru on Wednesday.
Juul’s candidature had been thrown into controversy.
The South Africa-based businessman had his papers rejected by the nomination court last Saturday on the grounds that they did not have finger prints and proof that he has been resident in the country for the past five years as stated in Section 32(4) of the Zifa constitution.
The section reads: “The members of the executive committee shall have already been active in football administration for at least 5 years, must not have been previously found guilty of a criminal offence as defined under national criminal law and have residency within the territory of Zifa.”
Juul, who lost to Cuthbert Dube in the second round of last year’s Zifa elections, resides in South Africa.Juul’s election agent, Stanley Makombe, told the media early this week that they would meet the deadline and furnish the committee with the required information.
“They raised three issues,” said Makombe.
“One, they said they need a police clearance that is addressed to them as well as finger prints. The second issue has to do with residence.
“We produced title deeds that show that Trevor owns properties in Harare, but they are saying one can own property in a country, but not be resident in it.
“The third one has to do with the manner in which Juul left the post of Zifa president when he served in the 90s. The committee is of the mistaken belief that he was suspended when in fact he resigned.
On this one we have said the onus to prove that he was suspended is on them, not us.”
The vice-president position will be contested by two candidates —Omega Sibanda and Lincoln Mutasa after the third Elkana Dube abruptly pulled out.For the other three board member posts, Wilfred Mukuna, Joseph Musariri, Lewis Uriri, Eastern Region chairman, Piraishe Mabhena, Musa Mandaza, Beaele Gwasira, Jackson Munyaka, Philemon Muchana, Edzai Kasinauyo and Shelton Kamambo filed their papers.
The other two posts in the seven member board are reserved for the chairperson of women’s football and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League chairperson.
Online Reporter