THE first meeting of the new Zifa board led by Harare businessman Philip Chiyangwa produced a major casualty yesterday after Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Twine Phiri was booted out from his post.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Chiyangwa announced after the meeting in Harare — which among other things got an appraisal of the state of football in the country from general-secretary Jonathan Mashingaidze — that his board had resolved to have new elections at the PSL.
It had been thought Phiri, a former Caps United majority shareholder, would join other board members for the first meeting on the basis he is the chairman of the PSL.
However, Chiyangwa said they had learnt that Phiri no longer had control at Caps United after Harare businessman, Farai Jere took over as the majority shareholder.
Phiri was not invited to yesterday’s meeting, raising speculation the decision to axe him was pre-meditated.
Phiri ceded his stake in the club earlier this year, but retained his position as PSL chairman despite Jere, who is now the majority shareholder, assuming the club presidency.
Only club presidents or chairmen are allowed in the board of governors, which chooses the league’s chairman from within that group.
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It’s not yet clear whether Jere will run for the PSL position.
He was expected to contest for the Zifa presidency, but chose to back Chiyangwa while expressing interest in running in 2018.
“We have resolved to have elections at PSL. We have learnt that the PSL chairman no longer had control at Caps United, so it is on that basis that we resolved to have new elections at the PSL. We also resolved to have elections for women soccer and the regions — Eastern and Central — to replace Piraishe Mabhena and Felton Kamambo. We will also have elections for Masvingo province,” Chiyangwa said.
The Zifa president said the board would engage KPMG to carry out a forensic audit and educate them on debt settling at the football governing body.
He said they will call in the police to help with the audit and try to reach an understanding with various creditors for a discount.
Chiyangwa said apart from servicing debts with money, they would engage various creditors and see if they could accept property in exchange.
He said that would only be done after the forensic audit by KPMG.
“If we come to some understanding with the creditors, we will negotiate with them for a discount and to exchange with properties,” he said.
Zifa has a long standing debt believed to be over $6 million.
Chiyangwa revealed that his board would move to restructure the secretariat as a cost-cutting measure.
The Zifa president said his board was also going to meet with Sport and Recreation minister Makhosini Hlongwane to chart the way forward on the preparations of the national soccer team for the Chan tournament.
The Zifa board also appointed standing committees, with Edzai Kasinauyo being appointed to lead the referees committee, while Philemon Machana was appointed to chair the finance committee.
Felton Kamambo was tasked to lead the players status committee, while Mabhena will chair the competitions committee.
Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda was assigned to beach soccer, with the PSL set to take charge of the sports medicine committee.
Kasinauyo was also given extra responsibility to chair the high performance committee.
Chiyangwa said he was determined to ensure Zimbabwe participated in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar and promised to mobilise resources for that endeavour.
