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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

Former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president Felton Kamambo, who is facing allegations of bribery to attain his position, has denied the charges.

Kamambo’s case, which is now at the defense stage, is being heard before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande.

The Deputy Prosecutor General Mr Michael Reza is appearing for the State.

Kamambo yesterday told the court that he was being framed by his former election agent Robert Matako, who had joined hands with Phillip Chiyangwa to defame him and lose his position.

Chiyangwa was the then sitting ZIFA president before elections were held that led to Kamambo taking over his position after he was uncontested in the second round of the elections.

In the first round of elections, no one was declared winner as both candidates failed to get the minimum required number of votes.

“I believe Matoka cooked up these issues in Nov 2019 because the two of us were no longer in good books.He was continuously demanding money from me US$2500 and l refused this is when he joined hands with Chiyangwa .

He said if it was true that he had bribed people to vote him into power, surely those charges should have been placed in December 2018 when the elections were held not to do so a year later.

He also highlighted that the court should consider what Matoka said when he was under oath as he refuted the validity of his statement that he had given to the police.

Kamambo went on to tell the court that his case was not supposed to find its way to criminal courts as football issues were dealt with at ZIFA and FIFA.

“Only ZIFA and FIFA should have looked into the matter as according to our constitution.FIFA did some enquiries, and their findings were that l had no case to answer.

“I finished my term in 2023, and FIFA never laid any charges against me even
ZIFA, through its members, never made a board of enquiry or vote of no confidence to deal with this case.”

His lawyer, Mr Admire Rubaya, tendered various documents, including the ZIFA and FIFA constitution, to support his claim.

Regarding to the alleged bribe money that he gave to some of the voters Kamambo said the money was for reimbursement of food ,transport and accomodation for the potential voters he had visited in Gweru and Bulawayo mostly when he was campaigning.
The trial continues today.

He was elected ZIFA president in December 2018, then got recalled by the association’s Congress on April 23 2022, six months after the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) had suspended his executive committee on allegations of mismanagement of the domestic football body.

But before the SRC suspension and the recall by Congress, the State alleged that Kamambo paid inducements to 32 ZIFA councillors in order to win the association’s elections against the incumbent Chiyangwa.