The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) vice president Gift Banda is still out in the cold as his matter has not been finalised.
The former Njube Sundowns director was accused of usurping the powers of the board by trying to replace then Warriors assistant coaches Rahman Gumbo and Lloyd Mutasa with the pair of Tonderai Ndiraya and Bongani Mafu.
Banda has been frozen out of the ZIFA board since January 16, 2019.
Yesterday marked exactly two years since the controversial decision against Banda was passed. He has literally spent half of his four-year tenure in limbo.
However, the suspension was reversed by the disciplinary committee on March 5, 2020, which meant Banda was automatically reinstated to his position.
But that ruling did not go down well with the ZIFA board, which has since been dilly-dallying on the matter.
Although the ZIFA board had the right to appeal the decision of the disciplinary committee, it failed to do so in time.
ZIFA Appeals Committee chairperson Stead Kachere, whose body is expected to bring the matter to finality, told The Sunday Mail Sport that Banda’s fate can only be determined by the board as there was currently no case before the committee.
“Gift Banda’s case is not with the ZIFA Appeals Committee,” said Kachere.
“The ZIFA Appeals Committee dealt with Gift Banda’s case and passed a ruling that there was no appeal before it made by ZIFA and as such, the Appeals Board could not sit and consider nothing.
“As far as the Appeals Board was concerned, ZIFA had not filed an appeal against the disciplinary committee’s decision. Then on July 6, 2020 ZIFA filed an application before the Appeals Committee seeking condonation to file the appeal out of time.
“The ZIFA Appeals Committee heard arguments from both parties’ legal practitioners and on July 9, 2020 handed down a ruling dismissing the points in limine (at the start) raised by Gift Banda and his legal practitioner.
“The position is: There is no appeal or application for condonation lying before the ZIFA Appeals Committee. The application for condonation of late filing of appeal was not prosecuted to its finality,” said Kachere.
He noted that the ZIFA board, as the chief custodians of the game in the country, would have the final say.
“ZIFA board was supposed to make submissions on why they wanted to file the appeal out of time and then hear the opposing arguments before making a determination as to whether or not to file the appeal out of time.
“Then from there ZIFA would file the appeal and we would determine the merits of the appeal again . . . As it stands, ZIFA has not filed an appeal against the disciplinary hearing committee’s decision to find Banda not guilty,” added Kachere.
ZIFA president Felton Kamambo, who is in Cameroon for the African Nations Championships tournament, declined to comment on the matter.
He referred all questions to either “the CEO or the ZIFA lawyer’’.
The association’s lawyer, Chenaimoyo Gumiro, insists that the board had filed their papers.
“The appeal is pending at the Appeals Committee. The matter is yet to be set down for hearing as parties are still consulting on the best suitable date for both parties. Once a date is agreed on we shall advise you,” said Gumiro.
In Banda’s absence, board member finance Philemon Machana has been acting as the vice president, although there is also no provision for such an arrangement in the ZIFA constitution.
