Sports / Soccer
CAPS United coach in tears over Asiagate
11 Apr 2013 at 20:21hrs | Views
CAPS United coach Taurai Mangwiro broke down yesterday before the Zifa Special Appeals Committee on Asiagate as hearings into cases involving those who have challenged the sanctions imposed on them started in the capital.
The committee is made up of lawyers Silas Chekera, Thabani Mpofu and veteran football administrator and politician Christopher Mbanga.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze and his legal counsel Ralph Maganga were also present during the hearings.
Earlier in the day, lawyers representing the South African trio of Method Mwanjali, Thomas Sweswe and Sunday Chidzambwa successfully applied for an extension, to the time-frame within which the cases of the three individuals can be heard, citing short notices for them to go through all the relevant material.
The application, which was not opposed by Maganga, was granted.
The lawyers felt the appropriate time for their clients to have their cases heard would be during the off-season, in the period between May 8 and July 2, and the committee granted them their wish and said a hearing would be heard within that period after a week's notice.
The lawyers were also ordered to provide written submissions of their appeals by not later then April 31 which will also give Maganga two weeks to look at the submissions and also make his contributions on behalf of Zifa.
Farai Razano of South African law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs was also present during the hearings although they instructed a local Advocate to represent Sweswe and Chidzambwa.
Chairman of the committee, Chekera, said the legal representatives would be free to raise any issue that they feel needs to be addressed, which freed the scope of the proceedings from just a process a mere appeal process.
He was concerned that Mangwiro and Shabanie coach, Luke Masomere, came in without legal representation and advised them that it would be in their best interest to also tap in from the legal arguments that could be provided by the lawyers when the hearings resume.
However, Chekera left the floor open for Mangwiro and Masomere to make their independent decisions and after they said they wanted the hearings to proceed, even without legal representation, their cases were opened.
Magwiro, who was appealing against a 10-year ban from all football-related activities, felt the sentence was "shockingly disproportionate" considering he did not gain anything financially and did not take any part in the planning of the games under scrutiny.
The meeting had to take a 10-minute break, as emotions got the better of Mangwiro, who later said a fine would have been appropriate punishment for him for his involvement after Monomotapa's trip to Malaysia in 2007 where they posed as the national team.
Also banned with him are club owner Solomon Mugavazi (five years) and team manager Clayton Munemo (ten years).
Team coach Rodwell Dhlakama got a life ban.
"The only wrong I did was to pass off as the national team assistant coach, but this was not because of my planning," said Mangwiro.
"I only stumbled on it, and we made a report soon after our return. I am shocked as to why I would be put in the same bracket with Munemo who was communicating with match-fixing syndicates, and how club owner Mugavazi gets a lesser sentence than mine yet he was involved in the planning of the trip."
The coach claimed Zifa programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana submitted that Mangwiro's activity in the saga was only 1/3, while the team doctor was at 2/3, and most players were at 3/3 yet he got a stiffer sentence than everyone else.
He questioned why he was treated differently from other coaches.
"My colleague Joey Antipas admitted to receiving money from the betting syndicates and got a five-year ban, which was commuted to a fine, and is working right now, yet I, who did not get anything, has already served six months of my ten-year ban.
"There is no one on the transcript who says he planned with me or he gave me any money to fix the matches, and even the players exonerated me in their submissions but I get such a harsh sentence," said a visibly shaken Mangwiro.
He also said the sentence would stifle his contribution to the development of the game in the country as he has always been active in molding young players.
Mangwiro was the second appellant to appear before the committee after Luke Masomere whose hearing began in the morning.
Head of argument presented by Masomere were similar to those of Mangwiro in that they were both not given a chance to stand before a properly constituted hearing.
Masomere also argues that he was not involved in the planning of the games, and that when he left Zimbabwean soil he did not know he was going for fixed matches.
"When I was approached by some Asian guys they made a proposal that we lose the match and they will pay us money," said Masomere.
"There were also officials from Zifa whom we had travelled with who made the offer when we got to Vietnam.
"I did not agree nor did I disagree with them but I only listened to what they were saying. Because we were so far away from home I could not confront anyone about the issue.
"When I returned home I made efforts to report the matter but it seemed like the syndicate was well orchestrated."
Masomere says as the whistle-blower to the saga, he should have at least got some immunity from the proceedings as he claims to be the one who leaked the story to the media.
On several occasions as Masomere stammered as he battled to name officials claiming he fears for his life.
Maganga said his client (Zifa) was happy that the appeals had started, opening another chapter to long winding saga.
"We hope to finish the matters as soon as possible as you can see that some players and officials careers have been in limbo for a while now. What is important now is Masomere and Mangwiro's cases have been heard and we now await determination from the committee, and we hope that will be soon," he said.
The committee is made up of lawyers Silas Chekera, Thabani Mpofu and veteran football administrator and politician Christopher Mbanga.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze and his legal counsel Ralph Maganga were also present during the hearings.
Earlier in the day, lawyers representing the South African trio of Method Mwanjali, Thomas Sweswe and Sunday Chidzambwa successfully applied for an extension, to the time-frame within which the cases of the three individuals can be heard, citing short notices for them to go through all the relevant material.
The application, which was not opposed by Maganga, was granted.
The lawyers felt the appropriate time for their clients to have their cases heard would be during the off-season, in the period between May 8 and July 2, and the committee granted them their wish and said a hearing would be heard within that period after a week's notice.
The lawyers were also ordered to provide written submissions of their appeals by not later then April 31 which will also give Maganga two weeks to look at the submissions and also make his contributions on behalf of Zifa.
Farai Razano of South African law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs was also present during the hearings although they instructed a local Advocate to represent Sweswe and Chidzambwa.
Chairman of the committee, Chekera, said the legal representatives would be free to raise any issue that they feel needs to be addressed, which freed the scope of the proceedings from just a process a mere appeal process.
He was concerned that Mangwiro and Shabanie coach, Luke Masomere, came in without legal representation and advised them that it would be in their best interest to also tap in from the legal arguments that could be provided by the lawyers when the hearings resume.
However, Chekera left the floor open for Mangwiro and Masomere to make their independent decisions and after they said they wanted the hearings to proceed, even without legal representation, their cases were opened.
Magwiro, who was appealing against a 10-year ban from all football-related activities, felt the sentence was "shockingly disproportionate" considering he did not gain anything financially and did not take any part in the planning of the games under scrutiny.
The meeting had to take a 10-minute break, as emotions got the better of Mangwiro, who later said a fine would have been appropriate punishment for him for his involvement after Monomotapa's trip to Malaysia in 2007 where they posed as the national team.
Team coach Rodwell Dhlakama got a life ban.
"The only wrong I did was to pass off as the national team assistant coach, but this was not because of my planning," said Mangwiro.
"I only stumbled on it, and we made a report soon after our return. I am shocked as to why I would be put in the same bracket with Munemo who was communicating with match-fixing syndicates, and how club owner Mugavazi gets a lesser sentence than mine yet he was involved in the planning of the trip."
The coach claimed Zifa programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana submitted that Mangwiro's activity in the saga was only 1/3, while the team doctor was at 2/3, and most players were at 3/3 yet he got a stiffer sentence than everyone else.
He questioned why he was treated differently from other coaches.
"My colleague Joey Antipas admitted to receiving money from the betting syndicates and got a five-year ban, which was commuted to a fine, and is working right now, yet I, who did not get anything, has already served six months of my ten-year ban.
"There is no one on the transcript who says he planned with me or he gave me any money to fix the matches, and even the players exonerated me in their submissions but I get such a harsh sentence," said a visibly shaken Mangwiro.
He also said the sentence would stifle his contribution to the development of the game in the country as he has always been active in molding young players.
Mangwiro was the second appellant to appear before the committee after Luke Masomere whose hearing began in the morning.
Head of argument presented by Masomere were similar to those of Mangwiro in that they were both not given a chance to stand before a properly constituted hearing.
Masomere also argues that he was not involved in the planning of the games, and that when he left Zimbabwean soil he did not know he was going for fixed matches.
"When I was approached by some Asian guys they made a proposal that we lose the match and they will pay us money," said Masomere.
"There were also officials from Zifa whom we had travelled with who made the offer when we got to Vietnam.
"I did not agree nor did I disagree with them but I only listened to what they were saying. Because we were so far away from home I could not confront anyone about the issue.
"When I returned home I made efforts to report the matter but it seemed like the syndicate was well orchestrated."
Masomere says as the whistle-blower to the saga, he should have at least got some immunity from the proceedings as he claims to be the one who leaked the story to the media.
On several occasions as Masomere stammered as he battled to name officials claiming he fears for his life.
Maganga said his client (Zifa) was happy that the appeals had started, opening another chapter to long winding saga.
"We hope to finish the matters as soon as possible as you can see that some players and officials careers have been in limbo for a while now. What is important now is Masomere and Mangwiro's cases have been heard and we now await determination from the committee, and we hope that will be soon," he said.
Source - Herald
