The association’s lawyer, Chenaimoyo Gumiro, said they had
given the Sports Commission a 24-hour ultimatum on Tuesday to reverse their
decision to suspend Mamutse.
However, after getting no response from the SRC, ZIFA
decided to take the matter up with the Administrative Court to challenge the
legality of the move.
Mamutse was suspended last week, along with SRC
director-general, Prince Mupazviriho, to pave way for investigations into how
national football teams were cleared for foreign trips.
The SRC board believe most of these clearances flouted the
laid-down procedures in this delicate period of Covid-19.
“Basically, ZIFA wrote a letter to the SRC on Tuesday
demanding a retraction of the decision to suspend the chief executive officer
of the association,’’ Gumiro told The Herald.
“We pointed out to them that the decision could not have
been arrived at procedurally and we gave them 24 hours to respond.
“But after getting no joy, we decided to act on the options
available to us. So, we are taking up the matter with the Administrative Court.
“We want the court to determine whether what SRC did was legal or not.
“Did they follow the SRC Act in arriving at the decision?
We are convinced they didn’t. They are departing from the football statutes,
which say the sport should be free from third-party interference, that is why
we are going to court.
“We didn’t want to take that route and that is why we wrote
to them first. They are clearly contravening the statutes.’’
Gumiro said the other available option was to approach FIFA
but they chose not to pursue that, for the moment, because of its possible grim
consequences.
“We also took into consideration that this (approaching
FIFA) could attract severe punishment, including a ban from football,’’ he
said.
“And, this would disrupt our teams taking part in the CHAN
tournament, the AFCON and World Cup qualifiers as well as FC Platinum, who are
participating in the Champions League.’’
The Sports Commission, however, have maintained that public
office bearers, like those in charge of ZIFA, should be held accountable for
their actions.
The SRC say they cannot just watch from a distance with
folded arms when the health of players and officials are put at risk by actions
of those entrusted with ensuring they operatein a safe environment. The
country’s sports regulator were also incensed by the embarrassing
disqualification of the Young Warriors, from the COSAFA tournament in South
Africa, for allegedly fielding over-aged players.
Neither party, it appears, is ready to budge in what has
been a bruising boardroom battle. The SRC say their investigations of the
association will not be stopped and those found to have erred will have to face
the consequences.
Yesterday, the Zimbabwe National Supporters Association
also added their voice to the ugly stand-off as they urged ZIFA and the SRC to
try and find each other for the good of the game.
“ZNSSA has noted, with concern, the unnecessary tension
between the football mother body ZIFA and the regulator, Sport Commission,”
said the organisation’s patron, Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga, in a statement
yesterday.
“We have also seen press statement from the SRC, indicating
that ZIFA chief executive officer, Mr Joseph Mamutse, was suspended for
flouting regulations of the SRC.
“While we respect the SRC, as a regulator, we think it is
overstepping on its mandate and this has negative consequences for our
beautiful game.
“It is clear, from our understanding of FIFA statutes, that
FIFA will view this as government interference and suspend our lovely country
from being a member of the global football.
“This means that our CHAN team, which is supposed to
participate at the CHAN tournament in Cameroon in January 2021, will be
disqualified. “Our representatives in the Champions League, FC Platinum, could
also be forced to pull out.
“Our country will be removed from participating in the 2021
AFCON qualifiers and 2022 FIFA World Cup.’’ Nyatanga said the consequences of
the impasse, between the two organisations, were too grim to imagine.
“ZIFA will be blocked from transferring players to foreign
lands,’’ he said in his statement. “In simple terms, football will be
non-existent in Zimbabwe and the SRC, itself, will also be rendered useless
since it also survives on regulating such organisations like ZIFA and the
levies which they pay.
“We appeal to our Minister of Sport, Honourable Kirsty
Coventry, to take charge and avoid what appears to be imminent embarrassment
for our country. We don’t want this unnecessary tension, and wanton suspension
of football officials by the SRC, which could in turn lead to FIFA ban.
“We, the supporters, are owners of the game, not those who
run it, and we are gravely concerned by the current state of affairs.’’
He said local football fans, who have spent a year without
going to watch their favourite game, were now concerned whether this could turn
into years.
“We can’t be starved of football, at the end of the day
it’s not about (ZIFA president, Felton) Kamambo or (SRC board chairman, Gerald)
Mlotshwa’s children who will suffer.
“The SRC should consider the number of players we export
every year, what are we saying to those players who have pending deals? “The Minister has to call everyone to order
before things go out of hand.
“FIFA will not tolerate third-part interference and, for
SRC to say they don’t care about the consequences, is tantamount to saying they
don’t care about our football.’’
Nyatanga said the two parties had the capacity to find each
other and deal with the challenges which have seen them drifting apart in the
past few weeks. Herald
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