adminCaroline Magenga Harare Bureau
CASH-strapped Zifa began the New Year on yet another sad note when property belonging to the association including equipment donated by Fifa went under the hammer at a Harare auctioneer yesterday as former communications manager Nicholett Moyo Dhlamini battles to recover her outstanding salary.
Zifa made frantic efforts to try and save the property from being auctioned but the association which is choking in debts could not convince Dhlamini and her lawyers to agree to a stay of execution and KM Auctions, instructed by the Deputy Sheriff, duly put the equipment under the hammer.
Dhlamini and her lawyers insisted they decided to go ahead with the sale after failing to make much headway in their discussions with the Zifa negotiating team.
The property attracted a sizeable number of people with some buying the balls that were on offer while others went for the furniture, the machines, including a printer that was used to produce player licences under the Fifa Transfer Matching System.
The total estimated value of the goods sold was $1,900, a figure that is paltry given the amount that Zifa owes to Dhlamini.
The 23 match balls which were also on offer fetched the highest amount with $365 being realised from the sale.
Dlamini who was represented by Kumbirai Masasire of Musoni and Masasire legal chambers was fired in 2012 under unclear circumstances and as a result dragged the association to the Labour Court.
Her legal team successfully argued that Dlamini was entitled to a $88,000 which included 30-month back-pay, $6,000 for dismissal without notice, and $6,000 for leave days.
After Zifa failed to make the payment, Dhlamini secured a writ to attach property for auctioning in order to get her dues.
The sales manager of KM Auctioneers, Jeffery Mubaiwa, confirmed that they had received bids for all the association’s property that was up for sale.
“All the property attached by the deputy sheriff in the case number HC6169/14 of Nicolette Dlamini-Moyo vs Zifa was bided for although I’m not at liberty to disclose the actual figure.
“Bidders will have until Friday to pay the amount, failure to do so will result in the property being resold.
“The property will remain at KM Auctioneers until full payment has been made for them by the bidders,” said Mubaiwa.
Some of the property that was sold includes hp-desktops, 2-piece wooden desk, hp-printer by 2, 3-piece leather sofa, 8 black bags, 23 footballs, full box containing Fifa bibs (purple), various DVDs and magazines, data cards, green Adidas shorts, a lawnmower, jerseys, 23 white shorts, 29 Legea green shorts, 4 yellow shorts (Puma), and a 2-piece wooden desk amongst others.
This now means Zifa will have to run around and procure new furniture and office equipment to use mainly at the association’s headquarters at 53 Livingstone Avenue.
There are also genuine fears that more property could be attached if the matter between Zifa and Dhlamini is not brought to finality.
Dhlamini is one of a host of litigants that have dragged Zifa to court in order to recover what they are owed by the soccer mother body.
Online Reporter