Gwindi insists comments not malicious

The Harare City Football Club chairman, Leslie Gwindi, who was banned for five years by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) for "placing the game of football into disrepute" yesterday issued an apology insisting "if anyone was wronged, they should take it in the true spirit of football as it was not intended."

Gwindi, who insists the comments he made in Bulawayo last year were not malicious, told journalists at a press conference that, "it was meant to provoke a debate going forward and I still believe maybe in a different form we can have those discussions retained."

"PSL and Zifa, as determined by the judgement, could have found it difficult to swallow some of the issues that were raised and I want it to be documented categorically that at no time was it intended to annoy anyone, but was made in the true spirit of democracy and the right to free speech and the right to fair comment and I still believe it's the right foot forward," said Gwindi.

According to Gwindi, his legal team met with the conditions Zifa demanded of the former Dynamos secretary for his ban to be lifted.

Three years were wholly suspended on the condition that he will not be found guilty of committing a similar crime – contravening the Section 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 of the Zifa rules and regulations of 1996 that charges anyone found guilty of "misconduct, betting, bribery, bad language and conduct likely to bring the game of football; into disrepute,'' – in future.

The other two years were to be suspended, provided Gwindi issues an apology and pays a $6000 fine.

According to a statement by Zifa, Gwindi is accused and was banned over his alleged comments that, "the leaders elected do not know anything about football and the current collapse is a result of total lack of leadership. The leaders (of Zifa) are in football for egos, personal agendas or political reasons. Sound administration produces results. The problem with Zifa is that it has toxic leadership, which is poisonous to everything they touch.''

The judgment which led to Gwindi's ban was passed on February 14 with Gwindi given two weeks to apologise and pay a fine before the other two years would be cancelled.

"This week falls within our time and we have responded and satisfied the conditions. My legal team is dealing with that if that is what satisfies them. What that does is that it gives us all options to be available in football in any form. We will exercise that option democratically as we should," said Gwindi.

"There are certain issues we also want looked into with regards that judgment. We wait to hear what will be the next step."

The ball is now in the football mother body to take action. With records of Zifa's administration and handling of Norman Mapeza's case, where he never got any formal communication of the end to his six-month Asiagate ban, it will not be shocking for Gwindi to receive the silent treatment.

Gwindi awaits the Zifa reaction.

"The most important thing is to jump this hurdle having satisfied their conditions and see how they look at them within the next 48 hours," Gwindi said, responding to a question on whether he will contest in the upcoming Zifa presidential elections.