Zifa audit report out by month end

ALL appears set for Zifa forensic audit report that is expected to open the lid on the rot that has characterised the administration of football in the country.

It emerged from the first tripartite meeting between the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC), Zifa and the Zifa restructuring committee, that the report will be ready by end of the month. The forensic audit, being conducted by a top audit firm, BDO Chartered Accountants, has been ongoing amid revelations that Zifa members, the secretariat and ex-members of the Zifa executive committee (the board), are among those called in to provide “clarity and insight into certain transactions” at Zifa.

There are allegations that Felton Kamambo’s board may have misappropriated funds before their November 16 2021 suspension by the SRC. The board was also censured for failing to deal with allegations of rampant sexual abuse of female referees. This resulted in former Zifa referees’ committee secretary Obert Zhoya, being slapped with a five-year ban by Fifa. Zhoya was also fined US$20 000.

It was against this background that the inaugural tripartite meeting for the SRC, Zifa and the Zifa restructuring committee, which was instituted by the former, convened at the National Sports Stadium on Thursday. Sports Commission chairman Gerald Mlotshwa led the team from the regulatory body, Gift Banda headlined the Zifa crew while veteran administrator Tommy Sithole fronted the representatives of the restructuring committee.

Yesterday, the SRC gave an update on the indaba and revealed that the Zifa Congress, national football’s parliament, would convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss the recommendations of the restructuring committee.

The Congress who on April 23 revoked Kamambo’s mandate among with that of board member (finance) Philemon Machana and Bryton

Malandule (development) is also expected to table the forensic audit report for which the councillors have a very keen interest.

“The purpose of the meeting was, in the first instance, to receive an update from Zifa regarding the implementation of certain of the conditions to which the lifting of the suspension of the Zifa executive committee on 8th June, 2022, was subject to,’’ the Sports Commission.

“Secondly, the meeting provided an opportunity for BDO Chartered Accountants to provide a progress report on the forensic audit which they are presently carrying out on the financial affairs of Zifa. Lastly, the restructuring committee gave an update on the progress it has made in discharging the tasks forming a part of its terms of reference,” read part of the SRC statement.

The Sports Commission were two weeks ago, vindicated by Fifa when the world body’s Independent Ethics Committee found Zhoya guilty of abusing female referees. SRC had led the charge in trying to unearth the abuse of female referees and accused the Kamambo leadership of seeping the matter under the carpet, which led to Zifa board’s November 2021 suspension.

“The Restructuring Committee expects to complete its findings and final recommendations to the SRC within a period that will allow Zifa members in a general meeting to consider the same for adoption. A Zifa EGM to adopt the findings of the forensic audit is expected to be held in October. Thereafter, the issues adopted during the EGM will form the basis the implementation matrix (with times and deadlines for the discharge of agreed reform goals). This matrix will be made available to Fifa and Caf. The same implementation matrix as well as the full details of the BDO forensic report and the findings and recommendations of the restructuring committee will be made available to the public in line with the SRC’s previous undertaking in this respect,’’ the Commission said.

It is also the Commission’s belief that Zifa need to address the constitutional crisis that has led to recurrent problems at the association.

“A key component to the implementation matrix is the adoption of a new constitution by the members of Zifa in December, 2022, after which and subject to the provisions of the new constitution, the holding of new elections from grassroots structures to executive committee level in early 2023. SRC reiterated (to the meeting) that it was not the commission’s priority to lobby for the lifting of Zifa’s suspension as a member of Fifa. Its focus was on the implementation of far-reaching fundamental reforms in the administration of football in Zimbabwe”.

Just like in Zimbabwe, Football Kenya Federation who were also suspended on the same date with Zifa on February 24, 2022 remain on the international sidelines. This is despite Kamambo’s embattled Kenyan counterpart, Nick Mwenda writing a letter to Fifa claiming that he had been reinstated by the government.

According to reports from Nairobi Mwendwa is now under probe from the government for his actions.

“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) Friday said it will cite the embattled Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa for contempt of court. This is after Mwendwa in a letter dated September 8, 2022 told FIFA president Gianni Infantino that he is back in office after the DPP dropped all corruption charges that it had pressed against him,’’ read part of the reports from Kenya.

“We shall cite him for contempt. He (Mwendwa) is misreporting facts which is absolutely wrong. He is aware that the matter is still active in court,” said senior assistant DPP Joseph Riungu.