THE cash-strapped Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) is
at risk of being stripped of its few remaining assets by the football body’s
president, Philip Chiyangwa and his associates, amid revelations that the
properties are now registered in the names of his workers and associates.
Documents in possession of Standardsport suggest that the
football governing body —now housed at Chiyangwa’s private business premises
for $10 000 monthly rentals — has already “sold” a house in Kensington for $160
000 through its private company — Zifa Private Limited — whose directors are
the association’s board member finance, Philemon Machana and Chiyangwa’s
employee, Marshal Jonga.
According to a deed of transfer prepared by Ngarava, Moyo
and Chikono on April 2017, Jonga sold the house along McLoughlin Road in
Kensington to Olivetouch Investment.
Documents at hand suggest that Jonga, who is employed by Pinnacle
Holdings as general manager — a company run by Chiyangwa — “sold” the house on
behalf of Zifa Private Limited illegally as the association tried to escape
attention from its creditors.
The matter is now at the High Court with lawyers
representing Maxwell Ndudzo, the buyer of the property through the sheriff of
the High Court, but duped in the process, alleging that Jonga and officials
from the deeds office corruptly sold the house to Olivetouch Investment for
$160 000 when the house was supposed to be sold by the sheriff of the High
Court on behalf of creditors.
“We believe that the transfer of the property to Olivetouch
Investment was done fraudulently and corruptly and we cannot rule out the
involvement of the office of the sheriff in these shenanigans,” read a letter
from F.G Gijima representing Ndudzo of Maxhaivo Electricals and hardware, who
had already paid for the same property through the sheriff of the High Court.
Documents at hand suggest that Ndudzo had offered to buy
the house as the highest bidder through a public auction done by the sheriff of
the High Court as was instructed by the court so that Zifa would settle money
owed to some of its creditors among them, Led Travel and Tours.
An agreement of sale had been signed, only for Ndudzo to
discover that Jonga had sold the house “clandestinely” to Olivetouch
Investment.
Documents attached to the court under case number HC6434/17
alleged that Olivetouch Investment directors had since denied buying the
property — a development, which implies that Jonga could have done the
transaction corruptly and in the process exposing the association to the risk
of losing the asset to the Chiyangwa-linked clique.
“I have cared to do some searches at the company’s office
to get more information about the first respondent [Olivetouch Investment]. I
only got a CR14, which shows an address for the alleged directors. I visited
the address stated thereon and talked to one Muzarurwi Masimba who confirmed that
he stays at the address stated but does not know anything about it and is not a
director of the first respondent. This renders the alleged transfer of the
property to first respondent suspicious,” read an affidavit filed by Ndudzo.
A quick search at the registrar of companies confirmed that
Muzarurwi, whose residential address is No 4 Alberta Road, Braeside, Harare,
and Tichafa Makova, also of the same address, are directors of Olivetouch
Investment since January 13 2016.
Besides that, the Zifa headquarters in Harare, which is
registered as a property for Zifa Private Limited, was also put on sale
recently and the association’s CEO, Joseph Mamutse directed a “potential buyer”
whom Standardsport had commissioned to deposit their money into a Pinnacle Property
bank account — raising more questions as to who was to benefit from the
disposal of the asset.
Chiyangwa forced the secretariat to abandon the Zifa
headquarters in 2015 after his election on allegations that it was haunted due
to persistent raids by creditors.
He moved the head office to his private premises where Zifa
is allegedly paying at least $10 000 every month in rentals and the association
hires furniture from Hansporte Investment — a private entity whose directors
are Jonga and one Beatrice Musavengana, all employed by Chiyangwa at his
private business.
Yesterday, Machana refused to comment on the matter after
being asked why Zifa moved to Chiyangwa’s private business.
“Hi Ncube. Kindly note that l have no comment on your
email. Keep well,” was all Machana could say.
Machana also refused to comment on how much the association
was paying to Chiyangwa and if the agreement was to the best interest of the
cash-strapped football governing body that is depending on funds from the
Confederation of African Football and grants from Fifa.
Already, the Zifa headquarters in the city centre have
undergone renovations, but still, the association is housed at 160 Enterprise
Road.
Further investigations by Standardsport revealed that
besides the sale of the association’s property, Jonga through his Hansporte
Investment, was getting $25 per month for leasing office furniture to the
association and the deal has a life span of 10 years.
According to a memorandum of agreement signed between
Jonga, representing Hansporte, and the then Zifa CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze on
December 8 2015, three days after Chiyangwa had been elected Zifa president,
Hansporte Investment leased office furniture to Zifa for 10 years at $25 per
month.
A further search on Hansporte Investment revealed that it
was a dormant company whose initial directors were Steward Kavendekete and
MacDonald Chinyani. They both resigned in November 2015 to pave way for the new
directors — Jonga and Musavengana who are all employees at Chiyangwa’s business
ventures.
Documents in our possession state that Hansporte Investment
was engaged to renovate Zifa Village and even operate it as a private business
venture on behalf of the association in return for money for services rendered
by the entity although the property was built through a grant from Fifa.
Last year the senior national team — the Warriors — refused
to be housed at the Village owing to the standard the private company had
renovated it to. The players argued that since Zifa was to pay Hansporte
Investment, it was better for them to be booked at a city hotel than stay at a
poorly spruced-up venue.
It has also since emerged that Chiyangwa, Machana and
Mamutse were the only signatories to the association’s account and with all
deals, from rent to tenders, being done by companies with strong ties to the
Zifa president, risks of plunder and financial maladministration were high.
Chiyangwa and Mamutse did not respond to questions sent to
them on the matter. Standard
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