Chiyangwa, Sibanda retain ZIFA posts
PHILIP CHIYANGWA and Omega Sibanda have virtually been retained as ZIFA president and vice president after their respective challengers, Felton Kamambo and Gift Banda, reportedly failed the integrity tests yesterday.
It emerged after a meeting of the ZIFA Electoral Committee to vet the eligibility of all the prospective candidates that former board members Kamambo and Banda had been disqualified.
ZIFA electoral committee chairman Vusilizwe Vuma announced the names of the successful candidates in a brief statement at the end of their integrity checks in Harare yesterday.
But Kamambo and Banda’s names were conspicuous by their absence from the list of successful candidates. The pair of Ishmael Chibvure and Mlungisi Moyo — who were seeking places on the ZIFA board — also fell by the wayside after being found on the wrong side of the electoral code.
According to the list that Vuma released, six candidates who include incumbent board member finance Philemon Machana, businessman Chamu Chiwanza, public relations executive Sugar Chagonda, former referee Brighton Malandule, broadcaster Barry Manandi and Central Region boss Stanley Chapeta, will now battle for the four board member positions.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association electoral committee met on 2 November 2018 to verify credentials of candidates who submitted nomination forms for positions in the executive committee.
“The following candidates were successfully nominated to stand in the elections slated for December 1, 2018,’’ wrote Vuma before listing the names of the candidates.
Vuma said reasons for the disqualifications had been communicated directly to the affected parties.
Although there was also disqualification of the little known pair of Chibvure and Moyo, it is the failure to make the final list of the duo of Kamambo and Banda that somewhat torched a storm around the electoral process, with their campaign teams and camps crying foul. It was, however, not immediately clear last night whether the cries of foul play on the aspiring presidential and vice president candidates would translate into appeals by the pair.
Although Vuma was tight-lipped on the reasons, it also emerged from the letters sent to the affected —
aspirants that Kamambo’s suspension by the association in April this year and the questions allegedly arising from the way he was nominated had weighed against him.
Kamambo and fellow former board member Piraishe Mabhena were handed three-year suspensions in April, barely a month after they quit the ZIFA board.
ZIFA chief executive Joseph Mamutse, who is an ex-officio member of the electoral committee wrote to Kamambo outlining that that he had also been improperly nominated, leading to his disqualification.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association regrets to inform you of the decision of the Electoral committee of disqualifying you from participating in the 2018 ZIFA Executive Committee elections. “the committee noted that: ◆ You were improperly nominated ◆ You are currently serving suspension ◆ You did not pass an integrity test,’’
read part of Mamutse’s letter. In the case of Banda, Mamutse noted that the former Bulawayo City deputy mayor was still undergoing rehabilitation following his suspension from the game over the match-fixing scam.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association regrets to inform you of the decision of the electoral committee of disqualifying you from participating in the 2018 ZIFA Executive Committee elections. “The committee noted that: ◆ You were improperly nominated ◆ You are still undergoing rehabilitation having been previously suspended ◆ You did not pass an integrity test.’’ Banda who briefly served on the ZIFA board after his initial election in 2010 failed to make the integrity cut on the basis of his 2012 suspension by the Cuthbert Dube leadership for his role in the Centralgate match fixing scam.
The former Njube Sundowns director, now a Member of Parliament for Lobengula had however, produced a letter yesterday which he claimed had been authored by ex-ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, which appeared to clear him and pave the way for his reinstatement into the football structures.
Mashingaidze’s letter was dated December 13, 2012 and titled — Confirmation of review and lifting of suspension — read:
“We are in receipt of your letter dated 3 December 2012 pertaining to the above matter and hereby acknowledge its contest. “Your plea for a review and lifting of your suspension was considered by the association and I have been directed to convey to you the unconditional lifting of your suspension with immediate effect.
“The association appreciates the contribution you have rendered to Zimbabwean football and we look forward to your continued contribution to the coal game in a different capacity from the previous one you had.
“Wishing you good luck in your next placement,’’ Mashingaidze wrote.
ZIFA’s electoral committee however, reportedly dismissed the said letter as a “fraudulent document which lacked merit’’. This is because the same Mashingaidze who authored the December 2012 document using an old ZIFA letterhead that became obsolete in 2010 then wrote to Banda in September 2013 summoning him to appear for the Centralgate hearings at the association’s offices in Bulawayo.
That communication titled — Invitation to attend Centralgate hearings 20th September 2013 was written four days earlier and was copied to Dube, the then board members, the Centralgate committee members and ZIFA lawyer at the time Ralph Maganga.
It noticeably bore the new logo and letterhead that the Dube leadership had adopted following their election and read:
“The Zimbabwe Football Association hereby invites you to the Centralgate hearings which shall be conducted as follows: “Friday 20th September 2013, time 0800hrs, venue ZIFA office, Bulawayo.
“Should you fail to attend, the committee shall proceed with the case in your absence,’’ Mashingaidze wrote.
ZIFA are also understood to have since instituted a probe into the glaring contradictions of the letters which are both bearing the signature of Mashingaidze.
The association also noted that while Banda had been cleared of the Centralgate issue in a Bulawayo court in 2013, the ZIFA leadership had refused to reinstate him onto their board even for their 2014 board. Yesterday’s developments could spark an interesting next few days in the ZIFA election season but indications last night were that Chiyangwa and Sibanda are now bracing for the December 1 elective congress where they be officially declared the duly elected president and vice-president of the association on fouryear terms.