Leslie Gwindi faces a football ban

Harare City football club chairman Leslie Gwindi's future in football looks bleak amid disclosures that the Zifa Assembly which sat in the capital yesterday had no kind words for him following remarks he reportedly made in March.

Gwindi, who has in the past been banned twice from football by both the Leo Mugabe and Rafik Khan administrations in 1999 and 2005 respectively, is said to have torched a storm within Zifa corridors when he was quoted by media houses taking a swipe at, among other things, the appointment of Pagels as Warriors coach.

The Zifa Assembly, according to a source who attended the meeting, was particularly riled with the way Gwindi is said to have ridiculed "hard-to-get sponsors, the government-to-government agreement that brought Pagels to Zimbabwe" and the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.

"The assembly had no kind words for Gwindi and resolved that he must face the music for utterances which were attributed to him by the media while addressing the Bulawayo Press club sometime in March.

"The councillors took offence at the way he unfairly attacked Delta - PSL sponsors - the German government through Pagels, Zifa structures and Minister (David) Coltart. You must not be surprised to see him being arraigned before a disciplinary committee and ultimately being banned.

"What makes him a good candidate for a ban is that he is not a first-time offender, having been banned by the then Rafik Khan administration," said a source who declined to be named.

Also in the firing line in former board member and Northern region acting chairman Saidi Sangula whose woes started by being ejected from yesterday's assembly owing to alleged irregularities in elections that ushered him into the board last week.
 
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze would not be drawn into commenting on Gwindi's case, but instead told The Sunday Mail Sport that Zifa's hand will descend heavily on those fingered and banned for their roles in Asiagate but continue to participate in football affairs.

"We have people like (Patrick) Hokonya - former central region chairman - who continue to visit our offices in Gweru despite him being suspended from all football-related issues for his role in Centralgate. Even those that were banned for Asiagate, but continue to frequent football activities need to be warned because we will descend on them heavily.

"The message from assembly was very clear that they are persona non grata and should be treated as such," said Mashingaidze.

Other issues that came up for discussion include the ratification of the constitution which, however, could not proceed as some councillors objected that they had not gotten the opportunity to see the amendments to the current constitution.

"The office has been tasked to send the document to all members by Friday and all should make their submissions by 31 May.

"From there we will have a working session facilitated by Fifa from 13-15 June after which the constitution must be ratified," explained Mashingaidze.

He also said the Assembly approved the new Zifa logo and ordered work on the Hall of Fame project to commence as a matter of urgency.

The meeting, which was also attended by members of the newly commissioned Football Trust, saw Zifa president Dr Cuthbert Dube brief the councillors on the state of football in the country and progress on the Asiagate match-fixing scam.