Zifa councillors unfazed by Fifa warning

DISGRUNTLED Zifa councillors are unfazed by Fifa's decision advising them to postpone tomorrow's planned extraordinary general meeting, which would have most certainly resolved to revoke the mandate of the suspended executive committee members.

In a letter written on Wednesday which brought relief to the suspended board, Fifa told the councillors that the Felton Kamambo-led executive has to call for a congress within 90 days, starting from January 3 when the world governing body got communication from the suspended Zifa leadership about the intended assembly.

The suspended Zifa executive committee now has until April 3 to convene the EGM, failure to which the councillors can arrange the gathering.

The circumstances in which Fifa has intervened are similar to July 2015 when the world governing body advised fed up councillors that wanted to push out the Cuthbert Dube-led executive to wait for 90 days before going ahead with their meeting that eventually saw him stepping down on the eve of the October 2015 EGM.

The councillors had on May 16, 2015 revoked the mandate of the Dube board before Fifa, represented by Ashford Mamelodi, advised that the move was illegal and the councillors had to give the executive a 90-day notice.

Martin Kweza, spokesperson of the Zifa councillors that had called tomorrow's aborted meeting, said they welcomed Fifa's directive and are happy the world governing body had endorsed their EGM by not dismissing the agenda of the congress.

"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."

He said their interpretation of the Zifa constitution and current obtaining situation is that 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's 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)," said Kweza.

He said they will not entertain any correspondence from the suspended Zifa executive since it does 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 an 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.

With just two months left before the Fifa deadline, suspended Zifa officials will be under microscopic eyes, having already shown vindictive traits by trying to intimidate councillors that signed the petition for the EGM.

In May 2015, the Zifa board axed several officials, who included vice-president Omega Sibanda, in a brutal purge targeting those accused of allegedly masterminding their exit.

Kamambo, then Central Region chairman, the late Willard Manyengavana (Northern Region chairman), Musa Mandaza (Southern Region chairman), the late Piraishe Mabhena (Eastern Region chairman), Northern Region secretary Sweeney Mushonga and Dennis Tshuma, the chairman of Matabeleland North province, were swept away by the purge.

Bryton Malandule, then Southern Region board member, was also suspended for backing the revoking of Dube's mandate.

The majority of the councillors had their suspensions lifted in June 2015 and they went on to ouster the board.