Zimpapers Logo

• ZIFA lift ban imposed on a dozen councilors

• Move meant to boost unity in national game

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
TWELVE ZIFA councillors, who were suspended last month for allegedly being the ring leaders of a revolt that briefly ousted the association’s president, Cuthbert Dube, have bounced back into the administrative structures of the game after their ban was lifted on Wednesday.

THE ZIFA board believes this is a key step towards mending the cracks that have emerged in the game’s leadership since some councillors met in Harare on May 16 and revoked the authority of Dube to continue exercising his mandate as the leader of domestic football.

FIFA have been playing a significant role behind the scenes in bringing the parties together, while Sports Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena has also been heavily involved in the boardroom manoeuvres to end the impasse.

The fate of the two suspended Board Members — vice-president Omega Sibanda and Ben Gwarada — remains unresolved although FIFA have said they were keeping a close eye on their case when it goes before the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee as scheduled.

The world football governing body said they were advised that there was more, in terms of alleged transgressions, to the suspension of Sibanda and Gwarada than just the duo’s attendance at the contentious May 16 indaba.

FIFA said their interest right now, ahead of a scheduled Joint congress of the ZIFA Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary Meeting on July 25, was to ensure that the ZIFA Assembly, which was the parliament of the national game, was not fragmented.

The Zurich-based organisation advised the ZIFA councillors that it would be in the interest of the game in Zimbabwe if they accepted the olive branch offered by the ZIFA board and they tendered a resignation for being part of that meeting on May 16.

ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze wrote to the councillors on June 25 advising them that their suspensions would be lifted, should they tender an apology, in the interest of building bridges and working together to develop Zimbabwe football.

“Following the mediation meeting held on the 18th of June 2015 between the Sports and Recreation Commission director-general Colonel Charles Nhemachena, ZIFA president Dr Cuthbert E. Dube, ZIFA Northern Region’s Mr Willard Manyengavana, ZIFA Northern Region’s Mr Martin Kweza and ZIFA Central Region’s Mr Festus Kamambo, the Zimbabwe Football Association is more than ready to consider lifting your suspension in the interest of football development and camaraderie, provided that you show remorse for attending the meeting of 16th of May 2015,” Mashingaidze wrote.

“Please, be advised that the ZIFA board is more concerned with repositioning our game than fighting each other at the expense of football.

“Considering the urgency of the matter at hand, may you kindly deposit your letter of apology with the association by no later than 1300 hours on 26 June 2015.

“The ZIFA Board’s Emergency Committee will be meeting this week and will be briefed by the ZIFA president Dr Cuthbert E. Dube on your request for the lifting of your suspension. The request for the lifting of the suspension is on the clear understanding that you would not attend such similar unconstitutional meetings in the future.”

The Herald is in possession of one of the letters sent by the ZIFA councillors, which is representative of the tone of the letters sent to the association.

“I refer to your letter dated the 25th of June 2015. I welcome your expression of the ZIFA board’s intention to uplift the suspension in the interest of football development and camaraderie,” wrote the councillor.

“Further, there is mutual concern on the need to prioritise the repositioning of our game than fighting each other needlessly. The meeting of 16th May 2015 was convened with the sole purpose of finding solutions to the problems bedevilling our football.

“However, to the extent the meeting has been deemed to have been premature, I hereby tender my apology.”

On Wednesday, Mashingaidze advised the councillors that their suspensions had been lifted.

“We hereby acknowledge receipt of your correspondence pertaining to your apology to the association and the association would like to confirm that your suspension has been lifted,” wrote Mashingaidze.

“A formal letter from the association with full contents of the lifting of your suspension will be sent to you tomorrow morning.”

Yesterday, ZIFA confirmed, in a media statement, that they had lifted the suspensions.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has withdrawn the sanctions imposed on 12 ZIFA officials who had been suspended following their involvement in activities detrimental to the development of football,” the association said in a statement.

“The association released a statement with regards to the pardoning of the officials which reads:

“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to inform the local football fraternity that the twelve (12) formerly suspended councillors on charges of bringing football into disrepute have been pardoned following their sincere apologies to the association.

“Consequently, their suspensions have since been lifted with immediate effect in the interest of football development and camaraderie.

“After their suspension, the councillors met with ZIFA president Dr Cuthbert Dube and asked for clemency.

“The general secretary in turn wrote to the councillors on the 25th of June indicating to them that they were compelled to tender written apologies as a sign of remorse. This culminated in the submission of letters of apology from all the 12 councillors.

“All members who have had their suspensions lifted are fully aware of the ramifications of the illegal meeting held on the 16th of May 2015.”

The statement also reiterated that Sibanda and Gwarada’s suspension had not been lifted.

“ZIFA would like to advise the public that Omega Sibanda, Benard Gwarada and Miriam Sibanda remain suspended pending their appearance before the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee,” ZIFA said in the same statement where they also attached a letter from FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke which read:

“We acknowledge receipt of your correspondences dated 15 and 17 June 2015 regarding the Extraordinary Congress of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), and including the decision to apparently suspend 14 football officials.

“With regards to the latter subject, we have been informed recently that there has been positive dialogue between ZIFA and the officials that were apparently suspended.

“FIFA is happy to take note of this positive dialogue and would be very interested in the outcomes thereof.

“Moreover kindly note that FIFA had clearly stated that it would not recognise the outcome of the so-called Extraordinary Congress of 16 May 2015,” the letter reads.

LIST OF OFFICIALS WHOSE SUSPENSIONS HAVE BEEN LIFTED:

Northern Region

Willard Manyengavana (Chairperson)

Martin Kweza (Vice Chairperson)

Sweeny Mushonga (Board member)

Southern Region

Musa Mandaza (Chairperson)

Tumediso Ndlovu (Board Member)

Brighton Malandule (Board Member)

Eastern Region

Piraishe Mabhena (Chairperson)

Davison Muchena (Board Member)

Central Region

Felton Kamambo (Chairperson)

Patrick Hill (Vice Chairperson)

Matebeleland North

Dennis Tshuma (Chairperson)

Beach Soccer

Joseph Musariri (Chairperson).