Zimpapers Logo

Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter

ACTING ZIFA president Gift Banda is facing serious allegations of diverting football equipment purchased by FIFA funds for political campaigns.

The Njube-Lobengula Member of Parliament recently held an eight-team Under-17 football tournament in his constituency where participating teams received football equipment purchased by a FIFA grant for development purposes.

However, the former Njube Sundowns director yesterday said there was nothing amiss about the distribution of the equipment as it was a resolution made by the ZIFA board for members to get an allocation that they would dole out to areas of their choice.

“It’s not a secret that we have distributed football equipment to the area zones, provinces and regions, who are all members of ZIFA. 

“There was a resolution that was passed way before the former president Felton Kamambo and the other board members had been suspended by the Sports Commission and eventually getting booted out by the ZIFA Congress.

“The resolution said that every board member would get an allocation of football equipment that he or she would distribute to the areas of their choice as part of the distribution process so that equipment reaches far-flung areas as well.

“All the board members got their allocations and they distributed it to the areas of their choices (while Banda was suspended by the board). No new resolution was made when I came in, we just used the same resolution and the minutes are there in black and white.

“At least the equipment reached the intended beneficiaries in our development thrust, unlike what happened with the previous board. The equipment had to be distributed because it had been lying idle for two years,” said Banda.

According to the available information, all ZIFA board members got their allocations with recalled former finance chief Philemon Machana donating in Gutu, while Farai Jere chose Mrehwa South and Barbara Chikosi gave to Chimanimani.

However, the distribution of the equipment has been a contentious issue of late. Lawyers of the ousted board members have also written to the current board urging them to stop distributing the equipment.

Banda was the latest when he held a tournament in which three academically gifted footballers from Njube and Lobengula suburbs aged between 16 and 17 years were selected for US scholarships after impressing a panel made up of coaches.

The tournament attracted grassroots football teams such as Vitality, Njube Spurs, Njube United, LMC Youth Academy, Nkalikha Stars, Lobengula Rovers, Gugulesizwe and High Fliers. All the clubs were from Njube and Lobengula.

However, the board members have been accused of using the football equipment to campaign for public office in this year’s general elections.

Banda, founder of former Premiership side Njube Sundowns, defended himself.

“How can it be an election gimmick when you are giving football equipment to school-going children?” he said.

“For your own information, I have been involved in football for many years. For 10 years I single-handedly sponsored a team that once played Premiership football.

“It’s something that has always been in me. I am not a fly-by-night administrator. If I had used my own resources from my pocket for all that long, running a professional football team, how can I not be able to hold a one-day football tournament for juniors?

“One wonders why this has become a Banda issue now when it was a board resolution and all the board members have played their part in the distribution,” said Banda.   

Apart from the controversies, 17-year-old striker Mayibongwe Dube, who is one of the potential beneficiaries, scored a hattrick for Njube Spurs as they beat Vitality FC 3-1 in the final of the inaugural tournament.

Dube, a Sobukhazi High School pupil was selected alongside Mpopoma High School pair of defender Alton Nyathi (16) and 17-year-old utility player Michael Mavenge. The trio play for Njube Spurs.

A panel of football coaches who included former Mighty Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi, ex-AmaZulu leftback Goodson Gama and renowned Division One coach Morris Mukwiti selected the trio after watching the eight-team Under-17s tournament.