Zifa future bright, say candidates

Langton Nyakwenda, Zimpapers Sports Hub

ZIFA’s transformation into a viable, united and professional football entity looks to be finally imminent, at least if sentiments by some of the association’s aspiring presidents is anything to go by.

The January 2025 polls to choose the next substantive Zifa president after Felton Kamambo, have captured the imagination, with campaigning expected to go into overdrive soon after the New Year’s holidays.

Such has been the wave of excitement and interest around the Zifa elections that even neutrals, keenly followed the December 23 announcement by the Normalisation Committee of the final list of candidates, who had passed the Ethics and Integrity eligibility test.

On that day, four other aspirants – Benjani Mwaruwari, Temba Mliswa, Walter Magaya and Farai Jere – fell by the way side from the race to become Zifa president.

But there were places for Marshall Gore, Martin Kweza, Twine Phiri, Makwinji Soma-Phiri, Nqobile Magwizi and Philemon Machana on those that made it past the eligibility post.

All the six presidential candidates have hinted to Zimpapers Sports Hub that they would soon after the festive holidays, roll out their manifestos and move their campaign trails a gear up.

But if initial sentiments and visions from the candidates are a major indicator, then a new and better Zifa looks to be in the offing should any of them prevail on Election Day in Harare on January 25.

Magwizi, whose vast business experience and local and international network anchors his vision, has made a bold statement of his intentions to turn Zifa into a successful institution with standard corporate governance tenets.

Just like Machana, who has been preaching unity as he seeks to bounce back into Zifa, Magwizi, also intends to bring together all the game’s stakeholders to end hostilities that have often pegged back the national game.

He also appeared on ZTN Prime’s news bulletin on Friday evening and outlined part of the vision that is captured in his manifesto.

“Corporate governance is the backbone of any successful institution.
“It is therefore important that we strengthen the institution of Zifa.

“It will be important for us to have clear roles for the board members and the secretariat.
“When this is done, we also capacitate the board and the secretariat through training,” Magwizi said.

“They (board members and secretariat) have to operate at the highest level possible with global standards.”
The corporate business guru is also worried about local football’s toxicity and wants to hold an all-stakeholder meeting once elected into office.

“Why toxicity prevails is because people don’t have the desire to come together and engage on things they have a different view on.

“It is my plan that we will have an all-stakeholder engagement where we come together and we look at the plans for Zimbabwean football going forward into the future.

“If we are able to do that, we will be able to agree on what works and what does not work.

He added:
“Drawing from my extensive experience in business and sports development, while leveraging my track record in governance, sponsorship negotiations and grassroots initiatives, we can transform Zifa,” said Magwizi.
Machana, speaking for the first time since he passed the eligibility test, revealed his relief at satisfying the requirements of the Muchadeyi Masunda-led Ethics and Integrity Committee and those of the Normalisation Committee, sitting as the Electoral Committee.

He said he was humbled and felt honoured to be among the six candidates whose names will be on the ballot papers.
The Harare businessman, who served in the two previous Zifa executive committees (under Philip Chiyangwa and Kamambo), as board member finance, feels he has seen enough negative impact of a fractured association.

It is against that his background that he wants the future of Zifa to be grounded on unity of all the game’s stakeholders.
“To colleagues that did not make it, I would like to say all is not lost.

“We remain football people together,” says Machana.
“The fact that someone has put their name and raised their hand, I think for me is primary testimony that they want football to grow and that they want to help football.

“So, obviously, the next step to do if I make it for the presidency, is that I will not ignore such people.

“Every person who put their name, even those that did not make it on the first stage and even those that will not make it past the last hurdle, all these people have shown that they want to work for football and we must not leave them behind,” Machana said.

He believes that the fact that he passed the integrity test will now clear the grey air over his past.
“This put paid to all the malicious allegations that have been previously labelled on my person.

“I believe going forward, this has sort of cleared the air and re-asserts my being clean and my being a football person and someone with a clean record and a clean past.

“This also reinforces what I have always said defines me as a professional and as a person.
“That is the ethos of good governance, accountability and transparency.”
Machana reiterated his call for unity.

“As shall be seen during my campaign and when my manifesto comes out, I am putting as a main talking point that the elephant in the room in our football is nothing but a lack of unity.”