Ndebele scoffs at suspension

SEASONED football administrator Kennedy Ndebele has scoffed at his suspension by suspended Zifa board members, saying he is unmoved by "feeble" things.

The iced Zifa board dished out suspension letters to Ndebele, the association's communications manager who is also the football motherbody's acting chief executive officer, Xolisani Gwesela, national teams' general manager Wellington Mpandare and a number of councillors on the basis of several acts of misconduct whose effect is to bring football into disrepute.

The suspension letters were written on Sunday, a day after the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) that the councillors had planned failed to take place following Fifa's advice that Zifa organises one within 90 days. Fifa wrote to say that the councillors can have the EGM after April 3, in the event that Zifa fails to call for one.

But it is the vindictive purge that the suspended board members, Felton Kamambo, Philemon Machana, Bryton Malandule and Stanley Chapeta have taken in desperate attempts to cow the Zifa councillors who want to revoke the board's mandate.

In their statement, the quartet said the affected individuals will not be allowed to partake in any formal association football activities until the finalisation of the cases.

"Anyone who shall deal with these individuals must know that they are doing so outside as private individuals and not office bearers of any form of football," reads part of the statement.

Ndebele, the head of PSL secretariat is being charged for siding with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) on suspension of the Zifa board.

The veteran administrator is also accused of meeting with Martin Kweza, the spokesperson for Zifa councillors who signed a petition calling for an EGM and Sweeny Mushonga of the Northern Region.

Contacted for comment, Ndebele whose office is busy preparing for resumption of the Castle Lager Premiership said: "Today I'm celebrating my birthday. I can't be distracted by feeble things." He capped his statement with unprintable words.

Kweza said the councillors remain resolute and are unmoved with the suspensions, adding that they have been anticipating the move by the suspended Zifa board.

"As the Assembly members we remain resolute to make the right calls for our football. We are convinced that the executive committee members have a case to answer and we therefore urge you to remain patient as we await the date of the EGM.

"As previously communicated, any communication from the suspended executive committee remains null and void, this includes the suspension letters of shame. Our football deserves better not this kind of ‘let football do the talking' mantra, which calls for a Fifa ban.

"Zifa assembly members are aware that the Kamambo led board was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) making it virtually impossible for them to conduct any business on behalf of Zifa.

"We are also aware that these actions from the suspended executive committee members are designed to attract Fifa's attention and push for Zimbabwe to be banned from international football.

We are reliably informed that the suspended executive directed the equally suspended General Secretary Mr Mamutse, to write a letter to Fifa to effect the ban," said Kweza.

Kweza said the councillors believe that football cannot be held at ransom by a few selfish individuals who are scared of facing the assembly and answer to charges raised against them.

"The suspended executive committee is merely abusing the Fifa directive for the EGM to be convened after 3 April 2022. That should never be a tool to work against the interest of the football family and the country at large.

The idea is to eliminate the congress members by reducing the numbers of those calling for their revocation as that will see the members failing to achieve two thirds required for revocation to succeed.

"As the Assembly we note that the suspended executive committee admitted through one of their many communiques that they are incapacitated to conduct any Zifa business, owing to the SRC suspension.

It is their view that they could not call for the AGM as required by the statutes. The suspended executive committee once again failed to direct the disciplinary committee to deal with the issue of sexual harassment and match fixing allegations being faced by one of their own members, citing that they are suspended.

We are now surprised that all of a sudden they now have the mojo and capacity to suspend members of the Assembly for merely exercising their right to call for an EGM," said Kweza.