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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THE ZIFA Restructuring Committee is now in the final stages of their mandate and could be handing over their recommendations to the Sports and Recreation Commission before the Christmas holidays.
The committee was put in place by the Sports and Recreation Commission last year as part of the strategic roadmap towards addressing the issues that have affected football management and administration in Zimbabwe.
And, tomorrow marks exactly one year since the committee was set up. Its findings and recommendations will help Zimbabwe address the challenges that have bedevilled football administration for many years.
SRC spokesperson Elta Nengomasha yesterday indicated the committee was winding up business, ahead of the December 31 target.
“I cannot speak for the committee but what I can say is that they are really seized with the matter and if all goes well the report could be out before the Christmas holidays,” said Nengomasha.
This committee, made up of experts in various fields of administration, sports management, legal advisory and business management, is independent of the Sports Commission and has the autonomy to discharge the functions more fully as set out in its terms of reference.
It was appointed in line with the provisions of Section 21, as well as 19(b) and 20 (c) of the SRC Act to tackle issues of strategic nature in the search for solutions in Zimbabwe’s perennial football administration problems and is not assuming the roles of the ZIFA board that was recently reinstated by both Sports Commission.
The board had been suspended on allegations which included lack of transparency with public funds, maladministration, bribery, vote-buying during election time and the sexual harassment of female referees.
According to the ZIFA Restructuring Committee terms of reference, the principal role of the Restructuring Committee was to review and recommend reforms in the administration of football in Zimbabwe in the following areas: the ZIFA constitution, ZIFA executive, junior football development, strategic plan, elections and forensic audit.
The committee’s mandate is expected to run until the end of this month. The Restructuring Committee have delivered on the first part of their mandate by requesting a forensic audit into the ZIFA books.
The Restructuring Committee’s report is as crucial to the reforms as the forensic audit report that was produced by an independent audit firm last month. The country’s football governing body was left with a lot of soul-searching after a forensic audit carried by an independent auditor unearthed massive financial irregularities at 53 Livingstone Avenue. The audit by BDO Zimbabwe revealed that ZIFA could have been prejudiced of over US$600 000 and over ZW$73 million in local currency during Felton Kamambo’s tenure. The audit covered the period between December 1, 2018 and November 30, 2021.
The forensic audit was one of the key undertakings by the Sports and Recreation Commission, through the ZIFA Restructuring Committee, to eliminate malfeasance and corruption in the administration of local football.
BDO Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants, who conducted the audit, indicated in the report that they could not access critical information on the association’s transactions from two financial institutions, who were among ZIFA’s key bankers.
It is believed that the information would have assisted auditors to establish recipients of varying sums of money withdrawn from ZIFA’s accounts held with the banks.
The ZIFA board is expected to table the audit report at the Annual General Meeting for discussion and adoption next month.
ZIFA have since set up a three-member ad hoc committee to look into matters arising from the forensic audit report. The ad hoc committee will make recommendations to determine the course action to be taken by the association. The SRC have indicated they could engage the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and police to get to the bottom of the matter.
The ultimate goal is to reboot the Zimbabwe football administration structures before approaching FIFA for the reinstatement of ZIFA’s membership that was suspended in April this year
Online Reporter