No champagne for Jere

JUST when everything looked in place for Farai Jere to pop the champagne and celebrate being the new Premier Soccer League chairman his nomination was ruled null and void.

Jere’s coronation was supposed to be a formality at a Harare hotel yesterday after he was nominated unopposed last month.

However, the Zifa Electoral Committee nullified the process noting that Article 38 of the PSL constitution was violated during the nomination exercise.

The said article stipulates that only members of the PSL are mandated to propose candidates for the office of the chairman, yet two of Jere’s nominators – Willard Manyengavana and Sweeney Mushonga -are non-members of the top-flight league.

Manyengavana is the Northern Region chairman while Mushonga is an executive member of the Division One League.

Yadah Stars chairman Everson Chatambudza was the other individual who nominated Jere.

“The elections for the chairperson of the Premier Soccer League have been cancelled due to an irregularity that rendered the nomination process null and void.

“The Electoral Committee has since decreed that the nomination process be reopened on the 16th of July 2018 and close on 3rd August 2018. The election will now take place on the 9th September 2018,” read a statement from the Zifa Electoral Committee.

Jere accepted the development.

“That’s what the constitution says, it’s a fact that Section 38 of the PSL constitution states that I was supposed to be nominated by PSL members. The process has to be done constitutionally,” Jere told The Sunday Mail Sport.

However, there were no irregularities in the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League elections where popular music promoter and businesswoman Barbara “Mama Redrose” Chikosi romped to a resounding victory over Rosemary Kanonge.

Chikosi polled 11 votes while Kanonge got four votes.

Wilbert Rambanapasi (vice chairperson), Brendah Gorejena, Panganai Mahachi, Beaullar Msarah and Tafadzwa Mujuru were also elected into the Executive Committee.

Chikosi called for unity and engagement soon after her election into office.

“The time for divisions is over, we need unity as we go forward. I know women’s football has a lot of problems but we have to solve them together.

“Let us be open to each other, there’s no need for backbiting tendencies and I am confident together with my fellow board members we will take women’s football to another level,” said Chikosi.

In the other elections, Givemore Chidhakwa was elected chairperson of Futsal and will be deputised by Victor Muzadzi.

Elections for Beach Soccer executive committee were postponed to a date to be advised as the Electoral Committee determined that there was no properly constituted electoral college.