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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
ZIFA were by late yesterday still to avail their bank statements to suspended vice-president Gift Banda’s legal team ahead of today’s condonation application in which the association are seeking to have their case heard by again by the Appeals Board.

In the initial sitting, the Stead Kachere-led Appeals Board threw away the appeal after ZIFA failed to attach proof of payment of their appeal fee as per Article 7.1 of the association rules and regulations.

As a result, the Appeals Board said, in the absence of any proof of payment, it was as good as there was no appeal and, therefore, the Bulawayo businessman had to be reinstated to his position as the ZIFA vice-president.

The association, though, argued they paid the appeal fee, with their spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, saying that payment was done on March 9, a day before the appeal papers were filed before the Appeals Board.

ZIFA claimed the proof of payment was with their accountant who, unfortunately, was held up by the national shutdown which was proclaimed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week, a receipt bearing payment of $120 000, which the association said was the appeal fee in the Gift Banda case, was shown to this publication.

There is a mystery as to how ZIFA managed to electronically move money from, and into, the same account.

Kachere also said it was difficult for them to prove that money was actually paid or not.

“If the Appeals Committee had its own account to run, this money should have been deposited in that particular account but, unfortunately, we don’t have and it makes it difficult for us to verify,” said Kachere.

Banda’s lawyer, Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga of Dube-Banda, Nzarayapenga and Partners, demanded to be favoured with a bank statement which showed actual movement of money.

“I haven’t been briefed to the contrary by my legal team, we still don’t have the bank statement we asked for,” said Banda yesterday.