Fifa to send delegation over Zifa election

Published: 02 December 2018

WORLD football governing body Fifa are expected to send a fact-finding mission to Harare to get to the bottom of what is fast becoming a soccer cesspit.

December 1, 2018 was supposed to be the day when local football elected its next Zifa board. However, a script seemingly written by the devil has local football in a shambles. The elections have been moved to December 16 as the polls have now been rescheduled twice.

There is now a push from some interested parties to have them further postponed to January 2019, and for them to be held under Fifa's supervision. The elections are turning into the unwanted gift that keeps giving unwanted drama.

Phillip Chiyangwa and Omega Sibanda for long looked a shoo-in to retain their respective posts as Zifa president and vice-president unopposed. Bids from their respective challengers Felton Kamambo and Gift Banda were thrown out by the Electoral Committee before the Appeals Committee put its seal of approval. The Appeals Committee's decision was supposed to be final. But in an unprecedented twist, the Electoral Committee last week "reversed" the higher authority's decision.

"In their communication with some disgruntled candidates, Fifa have hinted at sending a mission to Zimbabwe within the coming week and everyone is awaiting that visit," said an informed source yesterday.

Adding to the circus is Kamambo brazenly questioning the relationship between Chiyangwa and Fifa's director of development for Africa and the Caribbean, Veron Mosengo-Omba.

In a missive to Samoura, written on Friday and copied to the Confederation of African Football as well as the Sports and Recreation Commission, Kamambo called on Fifa to take over the electoral process.

"My appeal is that if these elections are to go ahead there must be done in accordance with the Zifa constitution. I am recommending at least 30 days so that elections can be held on the 5th of January 2019 or any day after. Fifa must come and supervise the elections but not Veron who is a close confidante of Phillip Chiyangwa. The current Electoral Committee must be dissolved for reasons mentioned above and in my other communications. I have lost confidence in them because they are captured. The last appeal is for the Zifa secretariat to relocate to neutral premises with immediate effect than be housed at the presidential candidate's offices," reads the letter.

Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela insists there was nothing untoward about the Chiyangwa-Veron relationship.

"Veron is the Fifa director for development in Africa and he interacts frequently with African football leaders, and it's impossible for him not to interact with Dr Phillip Chiyangwa, who is both Zifa and Cosafa president. I don't see any inappropriate relationship there," said Gwesela.
- zimpapers

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