News / National
ZIFA head for and SRC induced implosion?
04 Jan 2022 at 05:55hrs | Views
ZIFA is headed for an implosion after members of the association's Congress yesterday called for an extra-ordinary general meeting to revoke the mandate of the suspended ZIFA board.
The crucial indaba was called by the association's members, who are increasingly getting worried by the state of the domestic game and the standoff between the association's leadership and the Sports and Recreation Commission.
The ZIFA board was suspended on November 16 over a raft of allegations bordering on mismanagement and lack of accountability.
The Sports Commission have since set up a restructuring committee as part of their strategic roadmap towards addressing the issues that have affected football management and administration in Zimbabwe.
However, FIFA responded by demanding the reinstatement of the Felton Kamambo-led board. The Sports Commission were given until yesterday to reverse the decision but they stuck to their guns as the FIFA deadline lapsed yesterday.
The continued standoff meant FIFA will now submit the case to the Bureau of FIFA Council, which is the organisation's highest decision making body, for consideration and decision. The ZIFA members are worried that FIFA could decide to invoke their statutes and ban Zimbabwe from international football and have called for the crucial indaba.
The meeting, which is set to take place in the coming weeks has been called by 27 of the 62 delegates of the Congress. At least one third of the Congress, which is 21 delegates, is required to call for the meeting, according to Article 28 (2) of the association's constitution.
"We the members of ZIFA Congress, do hereby request your esteemed office to convene, "A Special Extra Ordinary General Meeting", in terms of the ZIFA Constitution Article 28(2) as read together with Article 28(3) which stipulates a notice period of fourteen (14) days.
"In pursuant to Article 28(2), find attached herewith list of members who have appended their signatures, in support of the request for the Extraordinary General Meeting," reads a letter signed by the ZIFA Members and addressed to the association's acting general Secretary, Xolisani Gwesela.
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 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 reach 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)."
The ZIFA board face 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.
"Now therefore, herewith are the reasons for the intended revocation:
1. Failure to call for AGM.
2. Subsequent failure to appoint ZIFA Electoral Committee.
3. Diverting of Covid-19 funds to other purposes and uses other than as was agreed upon at the AGM.
The AGM had resolved that the Covid-19 funds would be used specifically to help clubs with the resumption of football by paying for Covid-19 tests and referee's fees.
4. Failure to manage stakeholder relations and embarking on actions which has put the whole ZIFA into disrepute.
5. The Congress is deeply concerned with the manner with which you have handled charges of sexual allegations, levelled against one of your members.
6. The congress is further concerned that allegations of a match fixing nature have gone, unchecked, whereas such allegations have an impact of denting the spirit of competition within our game.
7. We further note that a team belonging to one of your executive committee members, which was duly relegated at the end of 2019 soccer season, was brought back to the ZWPSL league against principles of fair play and standing orders governing the said league. The said team, duly received Covid-19 relief funds from the said league.
8. Your board usurped the powers of the Congress and in the process created Rural Leagues, without the knowledge and approval of the Congress.
9. We further note that your board distributed football equipment to the said Rural Leagues, which equipment ought to have been distributed to ZIFA bona fide members."
The ZIFA members said they were deeply concerned by the sour relations between the suspended board and the Sports Commission. The Felton Kamambo board has refused to be accountable to the Sports Commission on many occasions and have adopted a hostile stance instead of cooperating with authorities for the good of the game.
The ZIFA members feel the suspended board is holding the game at ransom in light of the threat of a possible FIFA ban.
"The assembly remains concerned that in the worst case scenario, Zimbabwe will be kicked out of the AFCON tournament which is due to kick off on the 9th of January 2022.
"It is disheartening to note that the Executive Committee has not engaged with the parent ministry or the highest office in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"It would appear that the Executive Committee would accept a decision from FIFA for a ban, as long as they remain suspended.
"We, as the assembly we are baffled as to whether such decision can ever be in the best interest of Zimbabwean football.
"In as much as we do not condone the decision taken by the SRC, which amounts to interference, we remain convinced that, our football can never survive a FIFA ban of any kind. "ZIFA's annual turnover, is purely based on FIFA grants. In the absence of those inflows, there is no association to talk about. "It is against the impending ban, which in our observation, is just some days away, that as your assembly, we are calling for the EGM to discuss the state of our football and possible way forward, to avert a possible looming disaster.
"Our approach takes into cognizant, that there are areas, which the executive committee could have handled differently. Case in point being match fixing allegations as well as sexual allegations, levelled against one of the board members.
"Another being failure to hold an AGM during the course of the year. This has exposed the committee to unnecessary public ridicule. We therefore call for the EGM as a last resort as we hereto attempt to reach out to FIFA and show our displeasure at the events obtaining.
"As Congress, we further note that this is the only viable route to take and align our operations with the constitution, being asked to make difficult decisions, as demanded by current events, obtaining. We have lost confidence that you still have the will for any engagement, apart from waiting upon FIFA, for a ban."
The crucial indaba was called by the association's members, who are increasingly getting worried by the state of the domestic game and the standoff between the association's leadership and the Sports and Recreation Commission.
The ZIFA board was suspended on November 16 over a raft of allegations bordering on mismanagement and lack of accountability.
The Sports Commission have since set up a restructuring committee as part of their strategic roadmap towards addressing the issues that have affected football management and administration in Zimbabwe.
However, FIFA responded by demanding the reinstatement of the Felton Kamambo-led board. The Sports Commission were given until yesterday to reverse the decision but they stuck to their guns as the FIFA deadline lapsed yesterday.
The continued standoff meant FIFA will now submit the case to the Bureau of FIFA Council, which is the organisation's highest decision making body, for consideration and decision. The ZIFA members are worried that FIFA could decide to invoke their statutes and ban Zimbabwe from international football and have called for the crucial indaba.
The meeting, which is set to take place in the coming weeks has been called by 27 of the 62 delegates of the Congress. At least one third of the Congress, which is 21 delegates, is required to call for the meeting, according to Article 28 (2) of the association's constitution.
"We the members of ZIFA Congress, do hereby request your esteemed office to convene, "A Special Extra Ordinary General Meeting", in terms of the ZIFA Constitution Article 28(2) as read together with Article 28(3) which stipulates a notice period of fourteen (14) days.
"In pursuant to Article 28(2), find attached herewith list of members who have appended their signatures, in support of the request for the Extraordinary General Meeting," reads a letter signed by the ZIFA Members and addressed to the association's acting general Secretary, Xolisani Gwesela.
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 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 reach 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)."
The ZIFA board face 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.
"Now therefore, herewith are the reasons for the intended revocation:
1. Failure to call for AGM.
2. Subsequent failure to appoint ZIFA Electoral Committee.
3. Diverting of Covid-19 funds to other purposes and uses other than as was agreed upon at the AGM.
The AGM had resolved that the Covid-19 funds would be used specifically to help clubs with the resumption of football by paying for Covid-19 tests and referee's fees.
4. Failure to manage stakeholder relations and embarking on actions which has put the whole ZIFA into disrepute.
5. The Congress is deeply concerned with the manner with which you have handled charges of sexual allegations, levelled against one of your members.
6. The congress is further concerned that allegations of a match fixing nature have gone, unchecked, whereas such allegations have an impact of denting the spirit of competition within our game.
7. We further note that a team belonging to one of your executive committee members, which was duly relegated at the end of 2019 soccer season, was brought back to the ZWPSL league against principles of fair play and standing orders governing the said league. The said team, duly received Covid-19 relief funds from the said league.
8. Your board usurped the powers of the Congress and in the process created Rural Leagues, without the knowledge and approval of the Congress.
9. We further note that your board distributed football equipment to the said Rural Leagues, which equipment ought to have been distributed to ZIFA bona fide members."
The ZIFA members said they were deeply concerned by the sour relations between the suspended board and the Sports Commission. The Felton Kamambo board has refused to be accountable to the Sports Commission on many occasions and have adopted a hostile stance instead of cooperating with authorities for the good of the game.
The ZIFA members feel the suspended board is holding the game at ransom in light of the threat of a possible FIFA ban.
"The assembly remains concerned that in the worst case scenario, Zimbabwe will be kicked out of the AFCON tournament which is due to kick off on the 9th of January 2022.
"It is disheartening to note that the Executive Committee has not engaged with the parent ministry or the highest office in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"It would appear that the Executive Committee would accept a decision from FIFA for a ban, as long as they remain suspended.
"We, as the assembly we are baffled as to whether such decision can ever be in the best interest of Zimbabwean football.
"In as much as we do not condone the decision taken by the SRC, which amounts to interference, we remain convinced that, our football can never survive a FIFA ban of any kind. "ZIFA's annual turnover, is purely based on FIFA grants. In the absence of those inflows, there is no association to talk about. "It is against the impending ban, which in our observation, is just some days away, that as your assembly, we are calling for the EGM to discuss the state of our football and possible way forward, to avert a possible looming disaster.
"Our approach takes into cognizant, that there are areas, which the executive committee could have handled differently. Case in point being match fixing allegations as well as sexual allegations, levelled against one of the board members.
"Another being failure to hold an AGM during the course of the year. This has exposed the committee to unnecessary public ridicule. We therefore call for the EGM as a last resort as we hereto attempt to reach out to FIFA and show our displeasure at the events obtaining.
"As Congress, we further note that this is the only viable route to take and align our operations with the constitution, being asked to make difficult decisions, as demanded by current events, obtaining. We have lost confidence that you still have the will for any engagement, apart from waiting upon FIFA, for a ban."
Source - The Herald
