The trial of former Zifa chief executive officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, board member, Edzai Kasinauyo and former Warriors assistant coach, Nation Dube, accused of plotting to fix Warriors’ matches, resumed at the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday, with State witness, Takaendesa Jongwe leading evidence.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Jongwe revealed in court that he was the one who reported the matter after he was shown some messages from the whistleblower, which indicated the trio were planning to fix Zimbabwe-Swaziland football matches.
He told the court that after noting the alleged scandal was a security threat, he reported to the director of State residences in the Office of the President, Dzapasi Innocent Tizora.
He was then asked by defence lawyer, Harrison Nkomo why he chose to report the matter to an arm of the State, when football matters were only handled by Fifa.
Jongwe replied that it was instinctive, as they were about to be overtaken by events and the parties involved were extra-territorial.
Simon Mupindu, who is representing Kasinauyo, asked Jongwe why he was suspended by Zifa after he helped them to unravel the scandal.
Jongwe said he was suspended because he gave the story to our sister paper, The Standard, and for reporting the alleged scam.
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Zimbabwe senior national football team coach Kalisto Pasuwa, goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and former Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze are some of the State witnesses in the matter.
Magistrate Lucy Mungwaru remanded the matter to October 5 for continuation of trial.
Allegations are that between January and February this year, Rushwaya, working in cahoots with Kasinauyo, former Warriors coach Ian Gorowa and Dube, was involved in football match-fixing, which also targeted South African Premier Soccer League teams.
The court heard that Rushwaya, together with Leeroy Waguta, who later turned out to be the whistleblower, were working in connivance with Chan Sankran, a well-known Asian matchfixer, who was said to be the financier.
In February this year, it is alleged that Rushwaya and her alleged accomplices agreed to fix the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers between Swaziland and Zimbabwe, which were scheduled for March 25 and 28, 2016, in Mbabane and Harare respectively.
They allegedly agreed to pay Zimbabwe national football team players as an inducement to lose the game.
It is the State’s case that as a result, Kasinauyo was tasked to put pressure on Pasuwa to prematurely announce the list of the players or leak the list to the syndicate.
It is alleged they agreed to target three players — a goalkeeper and two defenders.
The court heard that Waguta alerted Pasuwa of the alleged plot to bribe the players and fix the matches.
As a result, Pasuwa informed Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa.
The State alleges on March 10, then Zifa chief executive Mashingaidze reported the matter to the police, leading to Rushwaya’s arrest. The three are on $100 bail.
