FOR the first time we agree with the controversial Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters’ Association for urging the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to bring Asiagate to finality by announcing the names of the affected people all at once.
Through their so called president Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga, the supporters said: “These people have been traumatised already and it doesn’t help matters to release the names in small batches and keep them waiting.”
As it is, Zifa were supposed to have announced the remaining names yesterday, but failed to do so after learning from the Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) that they had jumped the gun by meting life sentences on 15 players and officials.
Zifa say they will announce the remaining players today, but want to make public only those who were banned for 10 and five years.
Herein lies the problem.
Why should Zifa make piece meal announcement of issues that have a huge bearing on people’s lives? Is that not another “fixing” taking place?
It is ironic that Zifa president Cuthbert Dube lambasted the Justice Ebrahim-led Ethic Committee for taking too long to investigate the matter, but after receiving the report himself, Dube is taking too long to announce what is simply written in the report.
The reason for delaying the pulling of the trigger is that the football governing body is “upgrading” and “downgrading” verdicts recommended by the Ebrahim Commission.
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We have a problem with that because no satisfactory explanation to date has been brought to the fore about why some players and officials are being “upgraded” or “downgraded.”
Zifa owe the nation an explanation on how they came up with the concept of “upgrading” or “downgrading” the sentences of those involved or else we can only speculate that those whose status are being made stiffer have a tiff with one or two Zifa board members.
One can also, in the absence of a clear-cut explanation, that those whose penalties are being softened are connected in one way or the other in the Zifa corridors of power.
This is just speculation because the Zifa board has chosen to keep the nation waiting for far too long and our football is at a virtual standstill as a result of this monster.
Should they decide to announce some more names today, they should, in the interest of justice and avoidance of suspicion, publicise the rest of the players and officials involved.
