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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) Restructuring Committee has handed over its final report to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).
Chaired by Blessing Rugara, the committee submitted its final report of findings and recommendations to the Sports and Recreation Commission on December 23 2022.
The committee was established in December 2021 as part of the strategic roadmap toward addressing the challenges that have affected football management and administration in Zimbabwe.
Their mandate ended on December 31st, 2022. The Committee’s Report is divided into three parts and includes specific recommendations:
1. A presentation titled “Final Report of the ZIFA RC,” which is a summative report that aggregates recommendations arising from the committee’s deliberations.
2. Annexure 1, a “Findings Report of the ZIFA RC,” which is a comprehensive summation of the ideas, deliberations, and submissions that framed the committee’s work.
3. Annexure 2, “Proposals for Constitutional Reform,” which provides context for the discussions around the ZIFA Constitution, which the committee views as the key to restructuring ZIFA and charting a new way forward.
“Our desire is for ZIFA to be reformed and transformed. ZIFA should not be a cash cow that serves a select few and undermines the national interest. The nation deserves to have a football organization that best reflects Zimbabwe’s abilities and aspirations.
“We commend the government for embracing the reform agenda and are optimistic that the relevant institutions will adopt the committee’s recommendations to enable:
The adoption of a new, progressive Constitution for ZIFA. Management and financial accountability at all levels. Legal prescriptions and standards for sports administration. A self-sustaining National Team Program that is autonomous from ZIFA. 5. The attraction of private sector interest in reforming ZIFA,” reads a statement from the restructuring committee.
The SRC suspended the Felton Kamambo-led Zifa board in November 2021 on allegations of abuse of funds and the sexual harassment of female referees among other charges.
In February 2022, Fifa suspended Zifa’s membership on grounds of “third-party interference” in the internal affairs of the association.
As a result, all the national teams were barred from participating in international competitions until the ZIFA board was reinstated. – @innocentskizoe
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter