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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
ASPIRING ZIFA vice presidential candidate Omega Sibanda says he was just a window-dresser in the previous executive committee as he was never given any opportunity to fully implement the mandate he was given by the councillors. Sibanda was vice president in the executive committee led by Cuthbert Dube which was unceremoniously booted out of office after its mandate was revoked by the councillors.

The former FIFA player agent said because of his militant approach against the Dube leadership, he was then labelled an enemy of the establishment and was pushed out together with two board members, Miriam Sibanda and Ben Gwarada.

He believes he still has unfinished business at 53 Livingstone Avenue and wants the councillors to give him another opportunity. He said because of his decision to raise the red flag on the happenings at ZIFA, the councillors immediately demanded answers from the leadership, marking the start of a serious witch hunt operation and divisions within the board.

“We were together in the trenches as we fought to bring sanity into our football. You know the agenda that caused the revocation of the previous board, let’s finish the race. “I know we faced even an expulsion from FIFA as we pushed for normalcy in football but you remained resolute as you wanted to see an association that observed the rule of law, an association that embraces corporate governance,” said Sibanda.

He said he was, therefore, the vice-president of choice, a man who believed in integrity and who knows what football, the game needs and what football people want. “What is key real is finance and finance can only be come if we all observe the dictates of good corporate governance that instils confidence and trust.

“You can have one of the best business proposals but as long as you don’t observe your own constitution and follow the dictates of corporate governance it will always be impossible to attract any partners and as Omega I am a full believer in the rule of law and corporate governance,” said the Bulawayo businessman.

He faces the challenge of former Dynamos chairman Lincoln Mutasa during the December 5 elections. Like his running mate, Philip Chiyangwa, who is gunning for the ZIFA presidency, Sibanda said once in office, they will not blindly pay their creditors but would demand full proof of service rendered.

“A forensic audit exercise will help us appreciate our debt, we need to qualify how much ZIFA exactly owes. “We can’t rely on hearsay in terms of what we owe. “What I also need to clarify is that as an executive committee, we should not be seen to be running ZIFA on a daily basis as if we are the secretariat.

“As an executive committee, we can only formulate policies that are then implemented by the secretariat, that’s what football dictates say,” said Sibanda. Sibanda said in all this the Government was also instrumental in the success of the game and as a result the incoming board must and will work closely with the Government.

“So I call upon the councillors to make an informed choice when they hold that ballot paper on December 5, I am the vice president of choice and lets wrap up what we started together,” said Sibanda.