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Sports Reporter—

A STORM is brewing at the Premier Soccer League after an abortive attempt by some members of the emergency committee to force the authorisation of a US$17 000 payment to a Swiss bank before tomorrow to ensure their dispute with ZIFA is heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The majority of the PSL clubs, led by heavyweights Dynamos, CAPS United, Highlanders and FC Platinum, believe the payment is a waste of financial resources especially given the resolution of the relegation/promotion play-off dispute between the top-flight league and ZIFA at the weekend.

The two parties overwhelmingly voted for four teams to be promoted from the four Division One clubs with only two clubs being demoted from the PSL.

Even if the PSL were to pay that amount, the case is unlikely to be heard given that ZIFA have made it clear they will not pay the 17 000 Swiss francs wanted by the Swiss lawyers because the dispute should be handled internally.

It appears some hawks, within the management committee which has been running the affairs of the top-flight league, still want to fight on despite spirited efforts from both parties to let bygones be bygones and to start concentrating on negotiating a new contract with sponsors Delta Beverages.

Triangle chairman Lovemore Matikinyidze and his Chicken Inn counterpart Lifa Ncube signed a letter, dated January 8, ordering the PSL to release US$17 000 that is needed by the Swiss arbitrators before the deadline elapses tomorrow.

Dynamos president, Kenny Mubaiwa, who is a member of that emergency committee, refused to sign the document.

Sources told The Herald that Mubaiwa was unhappy that a request of US$17 000 had been tabled when the Swiss arbitrators had asked for 17 000 Swiss francs, which is about $16 722.41.

They also said Mubaiwa felt that instead of the PSL splashing resources to Swiss lawyers, they needed to find an internal remedy to their issues with ZIFA, especially at a time when the country was battling a serious foreign currency shortage.

The sources said the emergency committee, instead of asking for approval from all the clubs, had turned itself into the overall authority that makes binding decisions for the league.

“Mubaiwa simply doesn’t understand why the other members of the emergency committee want to splash such a huge amount when the league currently doesn’t have a sponsor and, crucially, when foreign currency is in short supply in the country at the moment and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have been warning against wasteful expenditure of foreign currency,” the sources said.

“He says the RBZ is unlikely to authorise such a payment because this dispute, or whatever remains of it, could be resolved internally with the use of local lawyers and, after all, we have already resolved the dispute through what happened at the last ZIFA Congress gathering on Saturday where the relegation and promotion issue was resolved.

“But there are some people who appear intent on making sure they drag this issue forever because they are fighting their petty battles at the expense of the game and some were even saying that there were ways that money could be moved out of the country without using the official channels if need be.

“This is what has made others develop cold feet because they are concerned they might end up being caught up in what is tantamount to externalisation, all in the name of fighting petty battles, and there has been a split among the PSL governors.”

The money is supposed to transferred into Credit Suisse, a Swiss bank based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The letter, which The Herald has seen, reads:

“As you are aware, our dispute with ZIFA is now pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. We write to advise that CAS have requested that each party pays an amount of US$17 000 being costs for the arbitration proceedings.

“We attach hereto the letter from CAS for your information. We are therefore seeking your approval to pay the amount requires by CAS. This amount must be paid by the 12th of January 2017.

“Find attached hereto a consent form for your signature if you are agreeable to the PSL paying the amount as directed by CAS.”

Matikinyidze and Ncube signed authorising the payment, but Mubaiwa, who has been calling for dialogue with ZIFA, refused to sign the letter.

The issue is splitting the PSL leadership with some now saying that those leaders, whose clubs are bankrolled by companies, appear ready for a prolonged showdown as they don’t use their resources to bankroll the activities of their clubs and will not feel the pinch should a deal with Delta Beverages not be struck as early as possible.

“There is a split, of course, because some of the club leaders are militant and want war rather than peace when it is clear that war is what is driving the sponsors away,” the sources said.

Those clubs whose leaders use their financial resources to bankroll their activities have been saying that the US$$17 000 can be best used to even support both CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum who are playing in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.