THE Sports and Recreation Commission have cracked the whip, suspending ZIFA chief executive, Joseph Mamutse, from all forms of football activities.
The country’s supreme sports regulatory body have also
place their director general, Prince Mupazviriho, on suspension.
The move is meant to enable investigations into how a
number of national football teams were cleared for foreign assignments, under
questionable circumstances, in this Covid-19 environment.
The developments represent a strong reaction from the SRC
and will send powerful message that the kind of chaos, which has been stalking
national football teams, will not be tolerated.
Earlier this week, the SRC barred the national Under-20
football team, the Young Warriors, from flying to South Africa, to feature at
the COSAFA Under-20 tournament. The red flag was raised after the SRC argued
ZIFA had not followed the laid-down protocols, to secure such clearance, in
this Covid-19 environment.
However, the SRC, in a statement released by their
chairman, Gerald Mlotshwa last night, noted “ZIFA’s reported ‘appeal’, that the
Sports Ministry has, in writing, advised ZIFA to seek an exemption from the SRC
for being non-compliant, in respect of its application for clearance of the
Zimbabwe National Under-20 Boys Football Team to participate at the COSAFA Boys
Tournament in South Africa.
“Due consideration will be
given to any such request for an exemption taking into account the
foregoing exigencies — any final authorisation shall be at the instance of the
Ministries of Sport and of Health.’’
Mlotshwa said the era of lawlessness, in the country’s
sporting family, was over and those who were intent on finding ways to
circumvent laid-down procedures, including resorting to legal challenges when
their shortcomings have been exposed, will be dealt with accordingly.
The suspension of Mamutse, the leading figure within the
ZIFA secretariat, is likely to send a powerful message that no one is above the
law meant to ensure governance of sport, in this country, should be done within
some set of rules to ensure the reputation, of both the nation, and those
disciplines, is protected.
The strong action comes just a week after the country’s
national Under-17 football team were expelled from the COSAFA Under-17
championships, which also act as qualifiers for the African junior tournament,
when they were sucked in an age-cheating saga.
CAF, who run the African junior championships, wielded the
axe on Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini and the Comoros after the countries were
found to have fielded players who were above the stipulated age limit. The
Botswana Football Association reacted to the expulsion of their team by
suspending their chief executive, Mfolo Mfolo.
ZIFA insisted the players they sent to represent the
country were within the stipulated age limits, and filed an appeal with CAF,
against the decision to expel the Young Warriors.
However, according to the statement released by Mlotshwa
last night, even the presence of the Young Warriors, at that COSAFA Under-17
tournament, was under a cloud.
The SRC will now investigate how national football teams
have, in the past few months, received clearances to represent the country. The
questionable manner of the process is what has forced the SRC to suspend their
director-general, Mupazviriho, pending investigations.
“Notwithstanding the clear provisions of the law and
related guidelines, policies and directives relating to the undertaking of
external tours by football teams representing Zimbabwe, at various age and
gender groups under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Football Association, the SRC
board notes the persistent flouting of the aforesaid framework in place, with
the attendant controversies and embarrassments to the country,’’ Mlotshwa said
in the statement.
“Noting the need to balance the interests of athletes,
against the need to hold accountable those administrators responsible for these
shortcomings, the board of commissioners of the SRC has resolved as follows:-
The placement of the general-secretary/CEO of ZIFA, Joseph
Mamutse, under immediate suspension from all forms of football administration
pending an investigation into the circumstances under which:-
1.1 The Zimbabwe National Women’s Football Team left
Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in South Africa without the necessary
approval from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation (‘Sports
Ministry’) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (‘Health
Ministry’) in light of the Covid-19 regulations and attendant directives
thereto;
1.2 Regulations and attendant directives thereto;
1.3 The Zimbabwe National Under-17 Girl’s Football Team
left Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in South Africa, without the
necessary approval from the Sports Ministry in conjunction with the Health
Ministry, in light of the Covid-19 Regulations and attendant directives
thereto;
1.4 The circumstances under which the Zimbabwe National
Under-17 Boy’s Football Team left Zimbabwe to participate in a tournament in
South Africa, without the necessary approval from the Sports Ministry in
conjunction with the Health Ministry, in light of the Covid-19 Regulations and
attendant directives thereto;
1.5 The circumstances under which the Zimbabwe National
Under-17 Boy’s Football Team was nonetheless disqualified from participating in
the said COSAFA tournament on allegations of including overage player(s) in the
side.
The placement of the director-general of the Sports &
Recreation Commission, Prince Mupazviriho, under immediate suspension pending
an investigation into the circumstances under which ‘authority’ was purportedly
granted, in retrospect, to the teams set out in 1.1 and 1.2 to travel to South
Africa without the knowledge and / or authority of the SRC board as well as the
Ministries of Sport and Health, above;
The board of commissioners notes, in light of ZIFA’s
reported ‘appeal’, that the Sports Ministry has, in writing, advised ZIFA to
seek an exemption from the SRC for being non-compliant, in respect of its
application for clearance of the Zimbabwe National Under-20 Boys Football Team
to participate at the COSAFA Boys Tournament in South Africa. Due consideration
will be given to any such request for an exemption taking into account the
foregoing exigencies – any final authorisation shall be at the instance of the
Ministries of Sport and of Health.
The adherence to national laws, policies, guidelines,
association and club constitutions, and other regulations, including court
orders by all those charged with the administration of sport in Zimbabwe is
hereby stressed. Those continuing to breach the same without thought for the
consequences are hereby forewarned. The end is nigh.
Sebastian Garikai, director of sports and recreation
development, shall be the acting director-general of the SRC pending the
outcome of the investigations set out in paragraph 2 above.’’ Herald
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