has been summoned to appear before a Zifa disciplinary committee for utterances he allegedly made as a guest of the Bulawayo Press Club in March.

No date for the hearing has however, been set yet.

The firebrand former Dynamos  and PSL secretary-general could face a second ban from the game if convicted for allegedly “demonising’’ Zifa, the PSL’s sponsors Delta Beverages and Warriors interim coach Klaus Dieter Pagels.

It has emerged that the PSL were the first to lodge a complaint with Zifa and asked the mother body to handle the disciplinary issue revolving around the allegations being levelled against Gwindi.

PSL chairman Twine Phiri wrote to Zifa asking the mother body to take over the matter which the top-flight body said had caused discomfort between Delta Beverages and them.

Phiri said they felt that since Gwindi is a PSL governor by virtue of his position at the Sunshine Boys and because part of the utterances that were attributed to him also attacked Zifa, it was imperative that “we leave Zifa to deal with the matter accordingly’’.

“This letter serves to confirm that Mr. Gwindi is a PSL governor since he is Harare City Football Club chairman. His utterances in the newspaper did not go down well with our league sponsors, Delta as seen in the attached letter.

“The PSL governors were made aware of such comments and complaint from the sponsors.

“The league’s assembly did not decide on taking disciplinary action against Mr. Gwindi as the utterances also involve Zifa or were against Zifa. As an affiliate of Zifa we leave Zifa to deal with the issue and advise us accordingly,’’ wrote Phiri.

In outlining Gwindi’s charges, Zifa indicated that the Harare City boss had also “insulted’’ the Minster of Education, Sport, Arts and Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart.

“On the 8th of March 2013 and at Bulawayo Rainbow hotel, the respondent unlawfully and intentionally committed an act of misconduct likely to bring the game into disrepute by using bad and insulting language while addressing various media practitioners and other invited guests at the Bulawayo Press Club in that you insulted the Zifa leadership saying that the leaders elected do not know anything about football and the current collapse is a result of total lack of leadership. The leaders (meaning Zifa board and councilors) are in football for egos, personal agendas or political reasons. Sound administration produces results. The problem with Zifa is it has toxic leadership, which is poisonous to everything that they touch’’.

The statements, Zifa also said, were “in fact intended to cause alarm and despondency so that the game becomes ungovernable much to the detriment of football in Zimbabwe’’.

Zifa also spoke about the allegations that Gwindi had insulted Delta Beverages who bankroll the Premiership championship through their Castle Lager brand.

“You insulted the Premier Soccer League sponsors, Delta Beverages more specifically Castle Breweries by calling its sponsorship of the league peanuts and a result of those irresponsible statements Castle Breweries have threatened to cancel the sponsorship deal it signed with PSL.

“The statements were made to scare away corporate sponsors from the game so that the PSL and Zifa leadership is seen in bad light by the football loving public.

“You insulted the senior men national team coach Mr. Pagels by calling him a tourist to Zimbabwe not capable of coaching football coach. You further described his appointment as a joke which shows lack brains on the part of the complainant’s current leadership.

“Mr Pagels is in Zimbabwe on a government to government agreement and his upkeep is borne by the German government using tax payers’ money.

You clearly breached protocol by rubbishing the coach’s appointment and calling him a tourist who is in Zimbabwe on holiday to enjoy the sunshine, the world famous Victoria Falls and other tourist attractions.

“You did show lack of respect for the Zimbabwean and German governments’ efforts in the development of football in the country’’.
Zifa also felt that Gwindi had brought the game into disrepute by allegedly questioning Coltart’s commitment to football.

“Further you insulted the Minister of Education, Sport Arts and Culture by claiming that he was not doing anything for football since his interest was in cricket despite the fact that Mr. Coltart has engaged the complainant regularly on football matters more specifically by holding an all stakeholders indaba in September 2012 which set the tone for a turnaround strategy for Zimbabwean football.

“The utterances have put football into disrepute and militated against the complainant’s current efforts to rehabilitate the game. The statements have ridiculed the entire football leadership from area zones up to the Zifa board.’’

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