The Sunday Mail
Cuthbert Dube
EMBATTLED Zifa President Cuthbert Dube survived – barely – another attempt to push him out yesterday, but the omens are looking ominous for the hugely unpopular administrator.
Attempts by miffed Zifa councilors to send Dube packing came unstuck on a technicality for the second time in as many months.
Another meeting has been set for October 3 when the Zifa supremo could have his mandate revoked.
Despite his ship hitting turbulent waters, a defiant Dube last night told the media he was in for the long haul.
“I am more than 99 percent confident I will survive on October 3,” he said. “The meeting will be convened because it’s a resolution of the assembly but it still has to go to vote. In the meantime I cannot step down because people are saying our (national) teams are not participating in competitions.”
Things got so heated riot police had to be called in to calm the situation on a day that saw members of the Lifelong Footballers Trust of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Soccer Supporters Association and the Women Soccer Pioneers of Zimbabwe demonstrating against Dube.
The drama unfolded as the rest of the football playing world went into the hat for the 2018 World Cup draw in St Petersburg, Russia.
Zimbabwe was not among those nations – the only Caf member missing in action – after being expelled by Fifa for failing to pay former coach Valinhos his dues.
The Brazilian is owed some US$80 000.
Zimbabwe’s absence from the 2018 World Cup journey was the first bone of contention among councillors yesterday as they questioned why Zifa had not used the money it got from the Premier Soccer League as affiliation fees to settle the debt.
Dube shot back saying he had used the money to settle the debt Zifa owed hospitality concern Pandhari Hotels, who had successfully applied for the attachment of his property.
“There was no way I could have let my personal property go because of a debt Zifa owes,” Dube is said to have told the meeting that was attended by Fifa representative Ashford Mamelodi.
The response triggered calls for Dube to step down with central region chairperson Felton Kamambo daring the Zifa boss to put the matter to vote.
A visibly uneasy Dube argued that his mandate was not on the agenda.
Mamelodi agreed.
Northern Region chair Willard Manyengavana then accused the Zifa secretariat, led by chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, of deliberately excluding the item from the agenda.
Mamelodi advised the councillors to give three months notice about their desire to pass a vote of no confidence in Dube and any other board members.
Concerns were raised that Dube would use such a grace period to suspend any councillors he suspected would back the move to jettison him.
“No you are safe. Fifa will not recognise any suspensions during this period. I know you are aggrieved but you have to trust Fifa. Fifa will respect the decisions made at this meeting,” Mamelodi is said to have assured.
Although they left Zifa Village having come short of giving Dube the boot, the majority of councillors were content with the blows they landed on the Zifa president and his cabal of Mashingaidze, Fungai Chihuri, John Phiri and Twine Phiri.
Disgruntled supporters and former administrators demonstrated against Dube’s continued stay in office – waving placards and handing over a petition to Mamelodi.
“Cuthbert Dube return all the looted Zifa property and funds”, “Fifa reinstate Zimbabwe in World Cup and ban Cuthbert Dube instead”, “Cuthbert and your puppet Jonathan Mashingaidze stop destroying our Zifa”, read some of the placards.
In their petition, the group urged Fifa to “remove the current football leadership and replace it with a normalization committee to save football from total collapse”.
“We wish to bring to your attention that we the above mentioned stakeholders in Zimbabwe note with concern that Fifa, Caf and Cosafa have allowed the game to be destroyed totally in Zimbabwe by the current Zifa board led by Dr Cuthbert Dube and his CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze,” part of the petition read.
