FIFA Southern and Eastern Region Development Officer Ashford Mamelodi is in Harare to conduct an induction course for the new Zifa board today and tomorrow.
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The board was elected on March 29 and saw Cuthbert Dube earning a second term in office, deputised by former Highlanders committee member Omega Sibanda.
Fungai Chihuri, Bernard Gwarada, Tawengwa Hara, women’s football boss Miriam Sibanda and Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Twine Phiri complete the board.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said the induction would ensure each member of the board was well-versed with their responsibilities.
“This [meeting] is basically to appreciate the new board’s targets over the next four years and will cover general administration, roles and responsibilities of the new board members and governance,” Gwesela said yesterday.
“This is a milestone for the new board as the induction course would ensure that they familiarise themselves with various performance deliverables and how they can grow and develop the game of football.
“This is also a vote of confidence for Zimbabwe as Fifa continues to invest in capacity building for the FAs [football associations].”
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Mamelodi arrives in the country after Zifa held a board meeting on Saturday at the Zifa Village in Mt Hampden where Sibanda had presented a report alleging that he was “abused” at two league matches in Bulawayo last month.
He reportedly asked Zifa to take action against PSL chief executive Kennedy Ndebele. Ndebele wrote back to his boss to clear the issues alleged by Sibanda.
The two matches in question are the double headers between Bantu Rovers and Chiredzi and How Mine versus Hwange at Luveve Stadium on Saturday April 3.
The following day was the big game between Highlanders and Caps United at Barbourfields, which Ndebele did not attend, but one that Sibanda alleges he was denied entry and treated unfairly together with his deputy at the referees’ committee Bryton Malandule.
Sibanda and Malandule apparently threatened to withdraw match officials for the Highlanders-Caps United match which was being beamed live on SuperSport 9, if they and their entourage were not allowed free entry into the stadium.
A security report obtained by NewsDay Sport indicates that Sibanda manhandled a steward from a private security company.
Reads part of the report by Nokel Security Company: “The Zifa vice-chair Omega Sibanda also gave us a challenge as he had to force us to allow 10 people free entry. Our steward only noticed Ezra Tshisa, Samukeliso Silengane and about eight others whom we failed to identify. In fact, he manhandled our steward, a behaviour we did not expect from such a high profile figure.”
The PSL secretariat was tasked, by the board of governors, with ensuring that clubs improve the management of events, especially gate controls.
This exercise has seen improvements in revenue collection which benefits the clubs that have been in the past crying foul over too many people entering stadia for free, thereby, prejudicing clubs of potential revenue.
Last week, Sibanda organised a meeting between Warriors coach Ian Gorowa and Zifa chief executive office Jonathan Mashingaidze in a bid to close the gap between the two despite the fact that Zifa had appointed three members to deal with the coach.
Gwarada, Hara and Sibanda negotiated Gorowa’s continued stay as Warriors coach until, at least 2015, with the Bulawayo-based lawyer also tasked with interfacing with national teams, a duty that the Zifa president seems to have taken over.
