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Miriam Sibanda

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Women’s Football chairperson Miriam Sibanda has written to ZIFA president Cuthbert Dube expressing her concerns over the way women’s football is being treated by the association’s chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze. In a letter dated November 3, 2014, Sibanda highlighted a number of issues the women’s football leaders have raised with Mashingaidze since coming into office eight months ago, but none has been addressed.

Sibanda claims Mashingaidze has frustrated them at every turn and has been the main drawback for the development of women’s football in this country.

Hawks within women football have been pressing their leaders to take their issues to the Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Ministry, but the leadership believe the ZIFA president is the best man to help them.

Sibanda is concerned Mashingaidze is arranging international games without the knowledge of the women’s board, yet the ZIFA constitution gives them power to be responsible for all women’s football issues.

Sibanda also states that they are in the dark about their grant entitlement as they were supposed to get 15 percent of the US$250 000 Fifa annual grant and they are entitled to US$37 500 of the total package.

“We met on November 7 as the women’s board, taking stock of what we have managed to do since we got into office end of March,” said Sibanda.
“And it was during that process that we realised we haven’t done much in terms of tangible deliverables.

“Most of the women’s football board members thought the game was not developing because I was not communicating or raising issues with the chief executive (Mashingaidze) and when I showed them the copies of my communication efforts, we decided to write to Dube. After showing my fellow board members copies of my e-mails, we only realised that Mashingaidze has become our biggest problem in developing the women’s game.

“So, right now we are waiting for the president’s response and once we get the written response, we will again sit as a board to discuss what he would have advised us.”

Sibanda accuses Mashingaidze of overriding her board and going on to make decisions without consulting them.
“What we deduced at the meeting was that on the one hand the secretariat wants the Zimbabwe Women Football to be an autonomous affiliate, but on the other hand they still want to keep us their direct dependant when it suits them.

“For instance, when we had an argument with him over the friendly game against South Africa, it was an issue of protocol because the ZIFA constitution says the Women’s Football board is entirely responsible for women’s football affairs, including organising local and international games.

“So we understand that there is no way the secretariat can go and engage, without telling Zimbabwe Women Football national executive, and then just tell us at the last minute,” said Sibanda.

The other issue that has seen relations sour between Sibanda and Mashingaidze has been the Fifa grant.
“Secondly, we have been asking about our FAP fund. These are funds that come from Fifa annually and we are entitled to 15 percent of what ZIFA receive.
“They received US$250 000 and of that we are entitled to getting US$37 500 and since we got into office we have been asking for a meeting with Mashingaidze, seeking to know the channel to follow if we are to get our chunk of the grant, but nothing has materialised.

“I raised the issue in Parliament and told the committee (on sport) that we were yet to get the money and Mr Mashingaidze, under oath, said we would get our share, but we still have questions as to when we will get the money,” said Sibanda.

Sibanda said they had also written to Mashingaidze requesting for a friendly match against Tanzania this month, but they had not received any response.