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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER ZIFA Central Region Division One League chairperson, Stanley Chapeta, who challenged Chamu Chiwanza’s candidature on the association’s executive committee, has been co-opted onto the board.

He is now a ZIFA board member and will step down from his post at the regional body.

Chiwanza who was expelled by the ZIFA disciplinary committee under a cloud last year.

Stanley Chapeta

Chapeta, who lost after contesting as one of the ZIFA board members during the 2018 December poll, alleged Chiwanza did not have the required five years in football administration.

According to a statement from ZIFA yesterday, Chapeta has now been co-opted in terms of article 32 (9) of ZIFA statutes.

The statutes read: “If a position, other than the president, should become vacant e.g. (death, resignation, unexcused absence from executive committee for three consecutive meetings), the executive committee shall fill that position until the next congress when a replacement will be elected with a remaining term of mandate.”

The co-option of Chapeta, however, is yet to be ratified by the congress as per the ZIFA constitution.

ZIFA spokeperson, Xolisani Gwesela, said the co-option is with effect from this month.

“Chapeta, who at the time of his elevation, was the chair of the ZIFA Central Region, comes in to fill the gap caused by the expulsion of Chamunorwa Chiwanza by the disciplinary committee in 2019.

“The co-option is with effect from the 12 of October 2020 when the executive committee unanimously agreed to bring him on board,” said Gwesela.

Chiwanza was suspended from the ZIFA board last month amid allegations that he committed acts of misconduct.

According to the charge sheet, the Harare businessman was accused of committing acts of misconduct.

Chiwanza had, at that time, fallen out with some of his executive committee members and has claimed this was all engineered to kick him out of the board.

Part of the charge sheet claimed he was guilty of:

“Presenting fake credentials to the ZIFA electoral committee in 2018 elections by fraudulently misleading that you had the requisite five years from a certain football club, when this was not the case, as is prescribed in article 32(4) of the ZIFA constitution.

“Deliberately, and persistently, leaking highly confidential association information at times mostly exaggerated, inaccurate or outright lies to the public domain.

“Abuse of office by influencing the ZIFA elections committee’s appeal committee’s decision on your case with Mr Stanley Chapeta.

“Intimidating some key witness in your pending electoral fraud case.’’

He was also accused of allegedly working with former ZIFA leaders, Philip Chiyangwa and Omega Sibanda, to compromise the smooth administration of the game by the new leaders.

Chiwanza was also alleged to be working with a sports commissioner, whom ZIFA claimed was his friend, to destabilise the association’s leadership.

The Harare businessman denied the charges and the latest developments mean that the ZIFA Central Region, which wasn’t even in existence a few years ago, has become a powerful force in the game.

The region has already provided the game with the ZIFA chairman, Felton Kamambo, who was once the regional leader.