Four candidates yesterday filed their nomination papers to contest for the Zifa presidency post, but former Warriors captain, Benjani Mwaruwari is not contesting for any position.
BY Kevin Mapasure
Businessman, Phillip Chiyangwa was the first among the presidential candidates to file his papers in the morning and by the end of the day, former Harare City chairman, Leslie Gwindi, former Zifa president, Trevor Carelse Juul and James Takavada had followed suit.
Zifa communications manager, Xolisani Gwesela yesterday confirmed the list of people that had officially registered their interest. The vetting process will be conducted tomorrow.
For the vice-president position, three candidates filed their papers although Zifa had by last night not collated information from the regions and provinces.
Elkana Dube, Omega Sibanda and Lincoln Mutasa will contest for that post if they pass the vetting process. To contest in any post, one has to have five years administrative experience within Zifa structures, and for the top post one has to be at least 40-years-old.
The two clauses in the Zifa constitution may be the reason Mwaruwari, who picked up nomination papers on Wednesday, did not file them.
Mwaruwari is 38 and has not done any administrative work since he retired from football in 2013.
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Gwindi, Juul and Takavada kept the media and interested parties guessing about their candidacy, as they took their time to file their papers.
Chiyangwa said he is confident of winning, since he had already laid the groundwork for the December 5 election. He claimed he already had 43 votes in the bag and whoever wanted to contest for the presidency was wasting their time.
“I filed my papers this morning. I do not know about the others, but what I know is some are pulling out at the last minute,” he said.
“I do not know whether I will contest, whether I am being contested or not. But whoever wants to contest must know I am holding 43, votes out of 58. Once I hit 43, I did not talk to the other councillors.”
He said that his mission is to sort out the mess in football, highlighting some of the key points on his manifesto, which include, restoration of constitutional democracy, the expunging of the Zifa debt, creation of academies, creation of revenue streams, as well as ensuring good contracts for players.
For the other three board member posts, Wilfred Mukuna, Joseph Musariri, Lewis Uriri, Piraishe Mabhena, Musa Mandaza, Beaele Gwasira, Jackson Munyaka, Philemon Muchana, Edzai Kasinauyo and Shelton Kamambo filed their papers.
The other two posts in the seven member board are reserved for the chairperson of women’s football and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League chairperson.
