THE Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) have requested
FIFA to use its powers, as enshrined it its statutes, to remove the entire ZIFA
leadership from office and replace it with a normalisation committee that will
be tasked to run domestic football for a specified period.
Gerald Mlotshwa, the SRC chairman, announced in a Press statement yesterday that
although they had the authority to remove part, or the entire ZIFA leadership
from office, they were asking the world football governing body to provide the
intervention.
‘‘The SRC has, of today, this 15th August 2019, written to
the Secretary-General of FIFA requesting that FIFA invoke Article (8) (2) of
the General Provisions of the FIFA Statutes to remove from office the entire
Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Board and to replace it with a
normalisation committee,’’ Mlotshwa’s statement read.
‘‘The SRC has reserved its right, in terms of the same
correspondence, to act in terms of Section 30 of the SRC Act and suspend the
entire board itself.’’
Article (8) (2) of the General Provisions of the FIFA
Statutes empower the world football governing body to act and remove national
football controlling bodies and replace them with normalisation committees.
‘‘Executive bodies of member associations may, under
exceptional circumstances, be removed from office by the (FIFA) Council in
consultation with the relevant confederation and replaced by a normalisation
committee for a specific period of time.’’
In terms of Section 30 (c) (i), the SRC, having afforded a
member like ZIFA the opportunity of making written representations to it, may
‘‘SUSPEND all or any of ZIFA’s officers, and in terms of Section 30 (2),
recommend to the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, the appointment
of an interim committee to administer the affairs of ZIFA.’’
A message purported to have been sent by ZIFA boss Felton
Kamambo to councillors last night read:
‘‘You probably have by now all (seen) an SRC press release
concerning ZIFA. Kindly note we are seized with this matter and a full response
is coming soon.
‘‘Meanwhile, we urge you to remain calm and continue to
work for the game. Football is in good hands and it shall be well.’’
According to sources, the SRC Board believe that according
to Section 30 (1) (c) of the Sports and Recreation Act, ZIFA conducted itself
in a manner which was against the national interest of sport.
This is related to FIFA funds, which have been pumped into
ZIFA for the development of the game, the controversies related to the
Warriors’ at the last AFCON finals and the negativity that continues to stalk
the Mighty Warriors.
The SRC, according to the sources, believe they have not
been given the responses they required from ZIFA to explain how funds from FIFA
could have ended changing bank accounts and if such a conduct did not consist,
on face value, gross incompetence in the discharge of duties for such a
national association.
The drama which surrounded the Warriors’ camp during their
ill-fated AFCON finals campaign in Egypt was also highlighted by the SRC as a
symptom of the challenges that were rocking the administration of domestic
football and the explosion of the issues in Cairo was just a culmination of
events.
The SRC wrote to ZIFA on July 3 this year requesting that
it be provided with comprehensive answers to a number of allegations that had
emerged and the association, in response, asked for an extension of the
deadline and then didn’t supply the required information.
‘‘It is against this background that the SRC have requested
FIFA to remove from office the entirety of the ZIFA board, including the
secretary-general (Joseph Mamutse), and replace it with a normalisation
committee,’’ the sources said.
‘‘While the SRC could have flexed their muscles, and
disbanded the ZIFA board, they feel that it is important for them to work
hand-in-glove with FIFA in addressing the issue.’’
FIFA have taken a similar route in the past, through the
appointments of normalisation committees, and in February this year the world
football governing body named a five-member normalisation committee to oversee
the governance of the Namibia Football Association.
Their mandate was to run the affairs of football in Namibia
until a new leadership was elected.
The committee replaced the executive headed by Frans Mbidi
who, however, continued to hold his post as the vice-chairman of COSAFA.
“The situation in Namibian Football Association is very
difficult. It is affecting football and FIFA cannot accept that football is not
played properly in one of its member associations,” FIFA director of
development for Africa and the Caribbean, Veron Mosengo-Omba, said when
unveiling members of the normalisation committee.
“It is the discretion and power of FIFA to decide who can
be given the mandate for this. They report only to FIFA.
“The normalisation committee is tasked to run the NFA’s
daily affairs but they will not have a seat in the federation.
‘‘They will oversee the NFA; to ensure that members of the
NFA whose executive committees are out of mandate, organise and conduct
relevant elections; and once elections have been held at member level, to
organise and conduct elections of a new NFA executive committee.’’
In August last year, following a meeting between FIFA and
the government of Ghana officials, the world football governing body resolved
to appoint a normalisation committee for the Ghanaian Football Association.
The normalisation committee’s mandate was to: Run the GFA’s daily affairs and cooperate with the special
task force once it has been set up by FIFA, CAF and the government of Ghana;
Review the GFA statutes to ensure compliance with the
requirements of FIFA and CAF, particularly art. 15 of the FIFA Statutes, and;
Once the GFA statutes meet the requirements of FIFA and
CAF, to organise and conduct elections of a GFA executive committee on the
basis of the revised GFA statutes.
Other normalisation committees have been appointed in the
Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mali, Pakistan and Madagascar in the past two
years. Herald
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