ZIFA special EGM deferred

Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

DISGRUNTLED members of the ZIFA assembly say they are still determined to hold the suspended board to account despite the directive from FIFA to defer the special Extraordinary General Meeting that was set to revoke the mandate of the Felton Kamambo leadership in Harare tomorrow.

The ZIFA assembly members yesterday held consultations among themselves after FIFA had written to the association, advising them to observe the constitutional requirements in full.

ZIFA Harare Northern Region chairman Martin Kweza, who has been designated by the disgruntled members to lead the mission, yesterday said they had decided to hold the meeting this weekend since the suspended ZIFA board, which is mandated by constitution to convene the meeting “within three months of receipt of the request”, is currently incapacitated.

The ZIFA board was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission last November over governance issues and abuse of office.

Kweza said the meeting will be moved to a later date, in line with the latest FIFA recommendations.

“We are in receipt of a letter generated from FIFA, Chief Member Association Officer, wherein FIFA notes their opinion that, “The ZIFA executive committee must be given time foreseen in the ZIFA statutes to convene the requested Extraordinary Congress.”

“This remains an opinion which is contrary to our well-informed view that the suspended ZIFA executive committee has no capacity to call for the requested Extraordinary Congress because they are suspended by SRC.

“After extensive consultation with our members, we are in full agreement that the ZIFA constitution is subordinate to FIFA’s constitution, we have noted their input, and we will proceed as recommended.

“What we are happy about is that FIFA endorsed our extraordinary meeting. Our interpretation of the ZIFA constitution and the current obtaining situation is very clear.

“The ZIFA executive committee is suspended and has no capacity to carry out any ZIFA official business. As we read the FIFA letter in line with our country laws, which again the ZIFA constitution is subservient to, the ZIFA executive committee has no powers to call for the EGM.

“We therefore note that the instruction from FIFA demands that we merely wait for the 90 days as noted in Article 28(2) to lapse.

“As members of ZIFA, who are subordinate to the ZIFA constitution, we will wait for the prescribed 90-day period to lapse on 3 April 2022.

“Wherein, as members we will proceed and properly call for our Extraordinary general meeting in terms of article 28(2). It must be noted that we will not entertain any correspondence from the suspended ZIFA executive since they do not have any locus standi.

“We remain resolute to pursue our agenda and charges preferred against the executive committee as highlighted in our request for EGM letter.

“There is no amount of waiting which will shake our position in this regard. We share the same disappointment with all our stakeholders emanating from this delay occasioned by the different reading of our constitution and we appeal for your patience. It’s justice delayed and not denied,” said Kweza. The ZIFA board faces a raft of charges prepared by the members.

The charge sheets have been sent to each and every member of the suspended board. The letter for the intended revocations was copied to FIFA, CAF and the Sports Commission.

The agenda of this special extra ordinary meeting includes:

1. SRC suspension of the ZIFA Executive Board Members.
2. Pending FIFA ban and its worldwide implications to Zimbabwean football.
3. Setting of ZIFA Annual General Meeting.
4. Review of the ZIFA Constitution.
5. Appointment of Electoral Committee.
6. Affording the Executive Committee members an opportunity to be heard as they respond to the allegations levelled against each Individual before Congress reaches an appropriate decision.
7. Way forward: Revocation of the mandate of one or more members of the ZIFA Executive Committee in terms of the ZIFA Statutes Article 22(m).

While FIFA acknowledged the meeting, the football governing body wrote through their Chief Member Association Officer, Kenny Jean-Marie, advising that the board was mandated to call the EGM within three months of request.

But if the meeting fails to take place within the stipulated time, the members may convene the meeting with assistance from FIFA.

“We (have) recently been informed that on 3 January 2022, some ZIFA members have called for an extraordinary congress which is apparently due to take place on 29 January 2022,” wrote Jean-Marie in a letter dated January 26, 2022.

“In this respect, we would like to refer you to art.28,2 of the current ZIFA statutes (2013 edition) which states that: “

The executive committee shall convene an extraordinary congress if one third of the members of ZIFA make such a request in writing. The request shall specify the items for the agenda. An extraordinary congress shall be held within three months of receipt of the request. If the extraordinary congress is not convened, the members who requested it may convene the congress themselves. As a last resort, the members may request assistance from CAF or FIFA.”

“Accordingly, we are of the opinion that ZIFA’s executive committee must be given the time foreseen in the ZIFA statutes to convene the requested extraordinary congress (i.e up until 3 April 2022) before the ZIFA members can lawfully convene it themselves.

“In other words, we consider that the relevant ZIFA members are not entitled to convene the extraordinary congress themselves on 29 January, as this would contravene the abovementioned statutory provisions.

“Therefore, we kindly ask you to inform the said ZIFA members and the executive committee about the foregoing so that the relevant measures can be taken on both sides.”