THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) yesterday unveiled a disciplinary committee as they intensify their fight against ills in local football, among them the widely-publicised match-fixing scandal.
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Former renowned referee, who is currently a Fifa and Caf referee instructor Wilfred Mukuna and Andrew Msengezi, a former chairman of the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee and also an ex-Zifa disciplinary committee member, are the notable faces on the five-member team. Other members are Wilbert Mandinde, Watson Muchengeti, a former chairman of the Harare Basketball Association Disciplinary Committee, and Musekiwa Mbanje — all legal experts.
The committee was unveiled in Harare by Zifa boss Cuthbert Dube and immediately started their work. Dube said the appointments were in conformity with Article 51 of the 2009 Zifa constitution. He added that the development were also a show of commitment by his association to protect the game of football from “man-made and natural vagaries”.
“The association has a long history of disciplinary cases which exposed our statutory frailties to an extent that the errant individuals would misbehave, knowing well that nothing would be done by the institution,” Dube assured.
In his acceptance speech, Msengezi, who is a former magistrate and public prosecutor, said they were ready for the task at hand.
“We cannot just watch our football being thrown into the dustbin. Football in Zimbabwe has been brought into disrepute so much that the corporate world is no longer interested in financing it, until it is clean and it is the role of this committee to ensure that it’s done. Those who transgress the laws by committing acts of misconduct will be punished. I assure you that we will carry our task impartially without fear or favour and to the best of our ability,” Msengezi assured.
