Fifa-registered player agent Kudzi Shaba has threatened to take action for criminal defamation after he was implicated in the Asiagate match-fixing scam that rocked Zimbabwe football since 2007.
A Zifa investigating committee, chaired by vice-president Ndumiso Gumede and had Elliot Kasu, Fungai Chihuri and Benedict Moyo as members, implicated Shaba, former Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya and former programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana.
“All these trips and subsequent games undertaken have consistency on the pattern of events and evidence/submissions made clearly indicate all trips/matches organised to Asia and Cecafa in Kenya were for personal gain by the syndicate.
“All personnel in particular the technical team were into it a big way and they understood the rules of match-fixing very well and benefits to them. It was no fluke that someone travelled more than once to those games.”
“The former chief executive officer of Zifa (Ms) Henrietta Rushwaya, the former programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana and the Fifa match agent Kudzi Shaba are implicated in arranging of these games and benefited financially, amounts the committee could not establish.
“A Zifa junior staffer Harry Taruva was also used by the CEO. The CEO received huge payouts because if for each game match agents paid between $30 000 and $50 000 then you look at the number that we played (it is 15 matches at least).
“The complicity of the then Zifa president Wellington Nyatanga cannot be ruled out as his failure to rein in the CEO’s activities bordered on serious dereliction of authority. He let loose the CEO onto the board and association resulting in them not functioning (properly). The CEO became untouchable and thus a mini-god.
“The Zifa president was the biggest let down as he encouraged this practice by being a recipient of loots of evils from the Merdeka Cup.
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“In most cases, all the travelling delegation, be they management, technical staff, players, media and hangers-on knew what was happening and had high expectations on financial rewards with a few possible exceptions such as Luke Masomere, Energy Murambadoro, (Solomon) Makuvaro and (Cyril) Mukweva.”
In his response, Shaba said: “Can you imagine? I don’t even know about the Cecafa and where or when they were played. I think my name is sweet for their tongues and pens. I will take them to court for criminal defamation,” Shaba said in his response.
