Andrew
Langton Nyakwenda
ELECTIONS to choose a substantive ZIFA board will now be held in December next year after the association’s Congress yesterday resolved to work on some outstanding reforms and follow a constitutional roadmap to the polls.
ZIFA’s highest policy-making body — the Congress — met for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Harare yesterday.
It was the first time since April 23 that the Congress convened. Forty-five of the 60 councillors that were in attendance resolved to extend the tenure of the board led by acting president Gift Banda by a year.
Ordinarily, ZIFA should have been preparing for elections to choose a board that would be in charge of football for the next four years.
But having twice missed chances to hold their annual meetings for 2020 and 2021, the councillors sought to realign the tenure of Congress and prepare for a proper election roadmap that they would want FIFA to supervise.
Banda yesterday told the media that the much-awaited forensic audit report was not tabled before Congress, as it is yet to be released by the ZIFA Restructuring Committee through the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).
It was the restructuring committee who tasked BDO Chartered Accountants to conduct a forensic audit of ZIFA books.
“We were given an extension of our terms, which were meant to expire on December 18 this year, to December 2023, (and we are supposed) to have held our elections by then,” Banda said.
He also announced that the delayed annual meeting would be held inside the next month.
It is at the AGM that the electoral committee would be put in place.
The Congress also agreed that there should be continuous engagement between ZIFA and FIFA to have the country’s suspension from the world football controlling body lifted.
“We resolved to continuously engage SRC and FIFA to find common ground so that our suspension (from the international game) can be lifted.
“Because we all agreed that the impasse is not between FIFA and ZIFA, but it is between SRC and FIFA.
“It was resolved that we continuously engage FIFA and SRC to find common ground so that we come back to football as soon as possible,” said Banda.
Zimbabwe was suspended from international football by FIFA in February due to what the Zurich-based body termed third-party interference. This was after SRC suspended Felton Kamambo’s board on November 16 last year.
“It was also agreed that the quickest way of resolving this impasse is for us to start preparing for the elections and inviting FIFA to come in and guide us on the roadmap towards our elections.”
Banda indicated that ZIFA are also in the process of reviewing their constitution with a view to making some amendments before the elections.
The amended constitution, once approved by Congress and FIFA, will guide the election process.
Some of the input on recommendations on the amendments is expected from the restructuring committee.
“Any constitutional changes we are going to do have to be approved by FIFA first, so that is why it is our hope that we will be engaging FIFA to come in and be part of the roadmap that will lead to the elections.
“This is because we can’t do any election without FIFA, otherwise it will be a nullity.”
The acting ZIFA president also gave an update on the forensic audit, whose draft recently leaked via social media platforms.
“We haven’t received the forensic audit because it not really addressed to us. It is addressed to the Restructuring Committee and the SRC; up to now we haven’t received that report.
“We await to get the report from the SRC and we will discuss it once it is in our hands,’’ Banda noted.
At the April 23 EGM, Congress unanimously agreed to revoke the mandate of three board members — Philemon Machana, Bryton Malandule and Kamambo.
Online Reporter