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Hope Chizuzu Sports Correspondent
ZIFA’S election season has turned into a farce after more evidence surfaced yesterday revealing that the composition of the Electoral Committee, tasked with running the polls, is in violation of the Zifa Electoral Code.The Herald is in possession of the Zifa Electoral Code, which was the document also lodged by the association in their defence in a recent High Court case in Bulawayo in which an application, to stop provincial the elections, was lodged and dismissed, and it paints a sorry picture of an organisation that is violating its bible in the current election season.
Zifa president, Cuthbert Dube, unveiled an 11-member Zifa Electoral Committee in Harare last year and it comprises chairman Tendai Madzorera, Kennedy Sibanda (retired judge), Cornelius Bwanya (Zifa Life member), Passious Masunda (Zifa Life Member), Sello Nare (Labour Court Judge), Musekiwa Mbanje (law student), Elizabeth Banda (Zimbabwe Prison Services and Fifa instructor), Tinofara Hove (lawyer), Tachiwana Nyahuma (lawyer) Charles Sibanda (former footballer) and Ralph Maganga (Zifa lawyer).
Zifa chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, is the secretary of the committee, which effectively brings the number of members of the Electoral Committee to 12.
But, according to the Zifa Electoral Committee, Maganga does not qualify to be a member and his presence, on the committee, compromises it and effectively means that everything that it has done is effectively null and void.
According to the Zifa Electoral Code, the Electoral Committee’s functions are clearly spelt out in Article 3 of the Code which says:
(i) — The electoral committee organises and supervises the election process and takes all decisions relating to the election.
(ii) — THE MEMBERS OF THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE MUST, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, BE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE OR
LEGAL BODY OF ZIFA.
(iii) — The members of the electoral committee shall be bona fide members of Zifa.
(iv) — The members of the electoral committee must immediately decline to give an opinion and withdraw from the matter in progress if they are:
(a) A candidate for an elected post:
(b) A relative, whether by birth or marriage, of one of the candidates for an elected post;
(c) A government official of any kind
The Zifa Electoral Code also touches on the composition of the Electoral Committee and , in Article 5, of the same Code, says :
(1) The Committee shall be composed of EIGHT members and must be formed within Zifa
(2) The Committee comprises (a) a chairman; (b) a deputy chairman; (c) SIX members.
How Zifa have ended up with 12 members of the Electoral Committee, when their Code clearly states only EIGHT members can make up that committee, defies logic.
How Zifa also made Maganga a member of that committee, when the Code clearly states that members of their legal body cannot make the committee, also defies logic.
Former Zifa board member, Saidi Sangula, has petitioned the Sports Commission, over the same issue, questioning the composition of the Electoral Committee, arguing that some of its members were not bona-fide members of the association and did not qualify to sit on that committee.
Sports Commission director general, Charles Nhemachena, said expressed his organisation’s position on the matter.
“If they (Zifa) are flouting any provisions of their constitution, it is not the job of SRC to call Zifa to book, but members of that association should as a matter of due diligence approach the internal bodies of the Zifa to register their concerns or can advise us to look into the matter,” said Nhemachena.
“It should also be borne in mind that when we registered the constitution, we expect the associations to have respect of the statutes as a governing document.
“But if they flout the same it becomes very unfortunate. We however, remain available to assist should complaints be brought to us for remedy regarding the same matter but as for now, none have approached us.
“As SRC we remain committed to ensuring that associations operate according to the dictates of the constitution as we cannot daily supervise their activities.”
Online Reporter