The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
THE build-up to the highly anticipated ZIFA Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is turning out to be more of an election campaign, as numbers will be key in determining the outcome of Saturday’s indaba.
In line with provisions of the association’s constitution, ZIFA members have convened the meeting to afford the Felton Kamambo-led board to answer to a slew of allegations.
It might have been long in coming but many in the football fraternity believe the indaba is crucial in resolving some governance issues that have haunted the game in the last few years.
The outstanding governance issues are reportedly stifling football development.
Kamambo’s administration also stands accused of failing to call for an annual meeting as provided in the statutes.
Despite elections across all affiliates being on the horizon, the board, which on November 16 was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), had not put in place an electoral committee.
Members, especially those in the Premier Soccer League and the regions, were also not amused with the manner in which Covid-19 relief funds from FIFA were handled.
FIFA extended US$1,5 million for resumption of football, of which US$500 000 was supposed to be channelled to the women’s game.
After putting all the logistics in place, the members, whose support base has reportedly grown to over 40 now, are ready to converge at a Harare hotel on Saturday to dispense with urgent business.
Northern Region Division One Soccer League chairperson Martin Kweza, who has been mandated by members to lead the process, is confident the indaba will sail through without hitches.
“All is set for the EGM. Everything is in order,” says Kweza.
“The agenda is the one that we initially circulated. In terms of the constitution, you cannot alter the agenda.
“The 27 councillors are the ones who signed but we have others who also came on board well after we had submitted the petition.
“We have the numbers that we need to push our agenda and we are 100 percent confident of what we are doing.”
He, however, indicated delegates faced threats of reprisals from some individuals among the suspended board.
The upcoming EGM is reminiscent of the 2015 indaba which revoked the mandate of Cuthbert Dube’s executive committee.
Stunned by the move to call for an EGM, which could revoke their mandate, some members of the ZIFA board have allegedly been making frantic efforts to ensure a quorum will not be achieved during the meeting.
A simple majority out of the 62 councillors is enough to validate any decision that might be made at the key indaba.
Some councillors have reportedly been victimised for signing the petition, while suspended ZIFA chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse recently wrote to FIFA and the assembly members seeking verification and authenticity of the petition.
On their part, the members wrote to FIFA clarifying that the meeting was indeed convened by them, and not the SRC, using their own resources as affiliates.
Apart from Kamambo, other suspended board members include Philemon Machana, Brighton Malandule, Sugar Chagonda, Barbra Chikosi, Stanley Chapeta and Farai Jere.
Chagonda, Chikosi and Jere have, however, since distanced themselves from the spirited fight back being launched by their colleagues fronted by the trio of Kamambo, Machana and Malandule.
FIFA have since been favoured with a dossier ostensibly highlighting the decay that had crept into ZIFA, including alleged diversion of FIFA funds and sexual harassment of female referees, among others.
