The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa has said the Omega Sibanda-led disciplinary ad-hoc committee was set up to specifically deal with Cecelia Gambe’s case and will disband after dealing with the matter.
In various announcing sub-committees last week, the local soccer governing body said Sibanda, the Zifa vice-president, would lead an ad-hoc that also comprises vice-chairman Victor Matipano and Musa Mandaza, Davison Muchena, Willard Manyengavana and Stanley Chapeta.
Concerns were raised that the ad-hoc disciplinary committee was not provided for in Zifa’s constitution.
Although there is a provision in Article 51 for establishment of ad-hoc standing committees, the one for discipline – which is a judicial body – is not provided for.
The inclusion of Sibanda – an executive committee member – on the ad-hoc disciplinary committee also seems to flout Article 32.8 of Zifa’s constitution, which states that: “A member of the executive committee may not at the same time be a member of a judicial body of Zifa.”
Amidst the confusion, Chiyangwa stepped forward to explain the disciplinary ad-hoc committee’s role.
“Remember we have the issue with Gambe and it has to be dealt with, and this committee has been set up to deal with that issue. It will disband once they have exhausted the case,” he said.
Gambe, the controversial Women’s Football board member, is set to answer charges of bringing the game into disrepute after allegedly storming the pitch and threatening referee Brighton Chimene when Mutare City played How Mine at Sakubva Stadium back in May.
Gambe accused Chimene of giving Mutare City a raw deal and sought to defend her actions saying she had needed to “iron out some personal issues with the referee”.
With four months having passed since the Sakubva incident, Chiyangwa maintained that his board had not been dragging its feet in dealing with one of their own.
“The issue with Gambe is sensitive, you know how she is. It needed a strong committee which is well-informed about the Sakubva incident to be set up, and I believe this one led by my deputy, Omega Sibanda, is capable of handling the issue,” said the Zifa president.
“There is no way, absolutely no way; we can let such action go unsanctioned. What message will we be sending to the rest of the country when we cannot deal with one of our own? Football issues have to be handled in a proper manner, knee jerk reactions are dangerous hence we took our time and came up with this committee.”
