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In the last few months that the Phillip Chiyangwa-led executive has been at the helm of our football we have learnt that the national football association has got no bank account, it is funded by an individual benefactor, is in debt and is failing to pay its workers. At the same time the executive has claimed that they have clinched a multi-million dollar “sponsorship” deal worth $100 million with Total Sports Marketing (TSM) company and the newly formed National Football Association of Zimbabwe also immediately announced that it lured one of the country’s top mobile phone company into football.

The conflicting scenarios above do not augur well for our football because it exposes the glaring corporate governance, financial and public relations loopholes at ZIFA or NFAZ as you might want to call it.

A critical principle in dissolving an entity reads — companies should have a structure to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of their financial position and environment. The big question then is, has ZIFA done this or has NFAZ inherited any financial integrity from ZIFA?

The answer is no. The coming in of NFAZ has indelible deficiencies of financial integrity. NFAZ is formed in the middle of a serious “ZIFA forensic audit” which surprisingly reveals that ZIFA’s property is worthy a meagre $30 000.

What is clear is that there was no in-depth review and consideration for serious audit on the financial situation of the association.

It is thus clear that the financial integrity “status” of ZIFA is questionable especially if it is true that the association has no bank account.

The only financial inheritance NFAZ got from ZIFA is its benefactor Wicknel Chivhayo. And for Zimbabweans, the formation of NFAZ does not seem to show progress for our football.

The dissolution of ZIFA lacks financial integrity because the whole process has no financial accuracy and clarity.

If ZIFA’s debt stand at $6 million why should the new executive seek to liquidate it when it has already signed a multi-million dollar sponsorship?

The ZIFA debt is a drop in an ocean especially when the ZIFA board has already tied a deal worthy $100 million a year.

Something is definitely not right here. This financial confusion shows corporate governance and PR loopholes.

Corporate governance and financial PR principles institute the aspect of shared values for the organisation and its various publics.

Financial integrity of an organisation is premised in the element of shared values. In other words ZIFA had shared values with all its publics from the corporate world to the players and coaches.

For instance, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has shared values with mobile company, Orange, and other partners.

The same way European Football Association (EUFA) Clubs’ Champions League has got shared values with Nissan and other partners in their financial agreement.

Therefore it is difficult for the emergence of NFAZ to just sweep under the carpet the relationship or dealings that ZIFA had with CBZ, LED tours, Pandhari lodge and others.

It is equally difficult for NFAZ to pretend it does not owe a string of ZIFA coaches and most importantly employees money in the name of appreciating a new NFAZ vision.

ZIFA had relations which were beyond shared values which cannot be ignored and this is why today unpaid ZIFA employees are teaming up to demand what they are owed.

The fact that the Government through the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) has not registered NFAZ, and FIFA’s playing a waiting game on NFAZ, is a clear indication they have shared values with ZIFA’s valued publics.

The liquidation of ZIFA is incomplete because its board has not established a sound system of risk oversight, management and internal control.

Such a sound system brings with it financial integrity even for the new baby NFAZ. A sound system of risk management allows an organisation to identify, assess, monitor and control risk.

The dissolution of ZIFA failed to take into cognisance the risk of the law, the risk of debt, the risk of football nuances like the match-fixing hangover, the risk of partnerships and deals made in the name of ZIFA and the risk of the magnitude of the generality of football fans.

If ZIFA had recognised and managed risk in this process, this hullabaloo over the dissolution of the Association would not have taken place.

It is also important to note that corporate governance and PR principles emphasise on promoting timely and balanced disclosure on any corporate decisions.

This disclosure is important for all publics and stakeholders of the organisation. The disclosure of ZIFA dissolution and formation of NFAZ was mistimed especially for its publics internally and externally.

The ZIFA employees, creditors and even investors were surprised by the sudden emergence of NFAZ.

While the recent deal between NFAZ and one mobile company might be regarded as timely, the truth is that the company has entered into partnership with an institution that lacks corporate identity, image and with no reputation at all.

Promoting timely and balanced disclosure is critical because every public and stakeholder of an organisation has equal rights and access to company information and material.

Hence, an untimely and unbalanced disclosure of the company direction may have repercussions that are detrimental to the existence of the organisation.

It is, therefore, vital for the corporate world to ensure they exercise corporate governance and welcome PR to ensure proper and progressive governance of their institutions.

Corporate governance and PR principles protect the organisation and its corporate community.

The ZIFA dissolution and NFAZ emergency do not protect the football entity and the football fraternity in Zimbabwe but squeezes life out of the most popular sport, not only in the country, but in the world too.

This article was prepared by the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations. For feedback, comments and inquiries on the work of ZIPR, please email [email protected] .