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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ON Saturday, the clock marked exactly two months since ZIFA vice-president Gift Banda was suspended and, with the association postponing the Congress where his fate was meant to be discussed this week, the former Njube Sundowns director could be left in the cold for a longer time.

Banda was suspended on January 16 for allegedly reshuffling the Warriors technical team without the blessings of his boss, Felton Kamambo, and other board members.

Banda, who was the acting ZIFA president at the time he announced the reshuffle of a technical team whose contracts had expired at the end of December, had replaced Rahman Gumbo and Lloyd Mutasa with the pair of Bongani Mafu and Tonderai Ndiraya.

The ZIFA Congress indaba, which Banda’s suspension could have been debated by Council and either ratified or rejected, has been moved from this Saturday to April 27.

Instead, councillors are now expected to converge at the ZIFA Village on the eve of the Warriors against Congo game, to undergo an induction conducted by a consultant — former FIFA development officer Ashford Mamelodi. ZIFA chief executive Joseph Mamutse announced the postponement of the indaba in a letter circulated to the councillors.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association wishes to advise that the ZIFA Annual General Meeting set for the 23rd of March 2019 has been postponed to Saturday 27th April 2019.

“The postponement has been occasioned by late completion 2018 Audit and need to accommodate the induction training consultant whose dates coincide with our ZIFA programmes.

“Thank you for your consideration,’’ wrote Mamutse. It could not be immediately established yesterday whether the disciplinary committee, chaired by Tendai Masawi, would still proceed to preside over the charges Banda is facing or whether the matter would now be referred to the Ethics committee.

ZIFA sent a letter to Banda advising him that he was also being charged for allegedly convening an unsanctioned meeting of board members on the eve of the January 16 indaba of the board.

The association also claim on their charge sheet that Banda issued threatening messages to some ZIFA board members on January 16 after the pronouncement of his suspension.