ASPIRING Zifa president Felton Kamambo, who is challenging
incumbent Philip Chiyangwa for the post, was yesterday picked up by the police
on allegations of threatening violence on the association’s general secretary
Joseph Mamutse, last month.
Kamambo spent about at hour at Highlands Police Station and
was later released after signing a warned and cautioned statement.
He was charged under Section 186 of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act. The former Zifa executive committee member is
alleged to have threatened violence on Mamutse and the case was first reported
on November 6.
He is set to appear in court on Tuesday to answer the
charges. After his release, Kamambo said he was confident of winning the
election tomorrow, adding his arrest was part of dirty tricks being employed by
the Chiyangwa camp to stop him from contesting tomorrow’s polls.
“I was surprised when I was invited to the police station.
I didn’t know what I had done, but I was told of the charge and I will be
appearing in court next week,” he said. “I am looking forward to the elections
and I will trounce Chiyangwa.”
Three Fifa observers arrived in Harare yesterday, while a
Caf representative is set to come in today to observe the hotly contested
polls.
Meanwhile, Kamambo has predicted a 40-20 victory against
Chiyangwa in Zifa’s executive committee elections set for tomorrow
Kamambo and Chiyangwa are the only candidates vying for the
top post, while Zifa deputy president Omega Sibanda and former Southern Region
chairperson Gift Banda will tussle for the vice-president’s post. For the other
four slots for ordinary executive committee posts, the tussle involves Sugar
Chagonda, Mlungisi Moyo, Chamu Chiwanza, Stanley Chapeta, Philemon Machana and
Brighton Malandule.
However, focus will be mainly on the contest between
Kamambo and Chiyangwa – two of the game’s figures who have been wrestling since
the former resigned in March arguing the mandate of the then Zifa board had
expired.
Chiyangwa unsuccessfully tried to bar Kamambo from
contesting on the grounds that he was serving a suspension – an allegation
dismissed by world soccer governing body Fifa, who ordered that the former Zifa
board member be allowed to contest.
Speaking to Newsday Sport yesterday, Kamambo said he had
the backing of football stakeholders and would trounce Chiyangwa.
He predicted a 40-20 victory against the Harare
businessman, whose reign as Zifa boss has been characterised by a lot of
hostility among football stakeholders. That hostility has continued to alienate
Zimbabwean football from the corporate world. Kamambo said he has done his home
work and expressed confidence he would defeat Chiyangwa in tomorrow’s
elections.
“Generally, football stakeholders are not happy with the
way the Zifa leadership has been managing the game. They are disillusioned and
want a change in the way the game is being run. There are a lot of clashes of
conflict in our game and that does not augur well for the development of football.
Football should be run as a business and the environment in our football is
toxic and not conducive for the smooth flow of business. I have got the support
of football stakeholders and I am confident of a comprehensive victory against
Chiyangwa – a 40-20 victory,” he said.
Kamambo pledged a more efficient, richer, transparent and
successful administration if he wins the mandate to lead the football
federation.
The former Mhangura player worked under Chiyangwa’s
stewardship in the board from 2015 until February this year before he quit the
executive committee, arguing that the Zifa board’s term of office had lapsed.
But Chiyangwa, Sibanda and Machana have stayed in the board
since then.
Kamambo, in his election manifesto, also promised the
football public to include the re-establishment of the FA Cup, the introduction
of the Zifa awards, channelling more funds to football development as well as
construction of a building to house the association’s offices.
Under his administration, Kamambo wants to see Zifa open up
more revenue streams so that it efficiently finances all its activities. He
wants to see Zifa owning, among other things, mines and farms other than
relying on Fifa and Caf cash handouts. Newsday
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