Zifa bosses appear in court for fraud

By Desmond Chingarande  Suspended Zimbabwe Football Association president Felton Kamambo and three other board members and the general secretary Joseph Mamutse have appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje charged with fraud.

Kamambo, Philimon Machana, Stanley Chapeta, Bryton Malandule and Mamutse are represented by Admire Rubaya. The state led by Ephraim Zinyandu consented to bail for Malandule and Mamutse saying they have not been detained into police custody and were coming from home after they were phoned by the police officers. The state opposed of opposed Kamambo, Machana and Chapeta’s bail. The bail application for the trio is continuing at the Harare magistrates court. The complainant is the Sports and Recreation Commission [SRC] and is being represented by Sebastian Garikai In his capacity as the Acting Director General of the SRC. The SRC is a statutory board established in terms of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act Chapter 25:15. It is the regulator of all sport and recreational activity in Zimbabwe, and is responsible for, inter alia, ensuring for the good governance of sport in the country. The Zimbabwe Football Association is one such registered national sports association. On November 16 last year, the SRC suspended the entire Zifa Executive Committee for gross incompetence and misappropriation of the association’s funds. The legal consequence of the suspension of the Executive Committee is that they have no authority to transact any business on behalf of ZIFA, whether orally or in writing. It is alleged that after the suspension, and during the period between January 2022 and 02 February 2022, the accused persons acting in connivance and knowing very well that they were on suspension wrote various letters on ZIFA letterhead purporting to be Zifa executive committee members. The state alleges that the letters signed by Mamutse who also purported to be the Chief Executive Officer of Zifa, addressed to various members of the Zifa congress also suspending them from their positions. It is alleged as a result of suspensions by the accused persons, the Zifa congressman are incapacitated and unable to execute their tasks. The state alleges their actions have also affected football clubs in Zimbabwe, particularly those of the Premier Soccer League particularly in form of sponsorship and other revenue flowing into the football sector. The state alleges the actions of the accused persons have caused prejudice to the good administration of Zifa.

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