Anti-Cuthbert gang faces Zifa purge Cuthbert Dube
cuthbert dube

Cuthbert Dube

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FOUR suspected masterminds of a meeting that “ousted” beleaguered Zifa president Cuthbert Dube and two other board members face possible suspension at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) set for June 16.Dube was suspended together with Tawengwa Hara and Fungai Chihuri at the meeting held on May 16, but world football governing body Fifa declared both the gathering and ouster null and void saying it violated the Zifa constitution.

Fifa argued that according to Article 28 of the constitution, the executive committee of Zifa has to convene an extraordinary congress within three months if one third of the members ask for it.

Since the request was made on March 16, 2015, Fifa said the three months have not yet lapsed. In addition, Fifa said the EGM should have been convened by the secretary general and chaired by the president, which was not the case.

Northern Region boss Willard Manyengavana and his secretary Sweeney Mushonga, Eastern Region chairperson Piraishe Mabhena and Southern Region boss Musa Mandaza have been fingered as the key figures behind the temporary ouster of Dube at the May 16 meeting.

Well placed sources told Chronicle Sport that runners are in the process of soliciting support from council members to back the quartet’s suspension at the upcoming EGM.

A meeting was to have been held in Hwange this past weekend soon after the Hwange and Chicken Inn league match but was aborted for unexplained reasons.

“We’re aware of spirited efforts to try to pinpoint masterminds of the May 16 meeting and so far the four have been singled out but we’re all determined to fight. We can’t have two individuals holding the whole nation to ransom. The petition was signed by all of us, not just the four. This is why we want to have the EGM first ahead of the AGM (annual general meeting) so that by the time we go for the AGM, we would’ve cleaned our football,” said a councillor.

The councillors have already declared that the agenda and outcome of the Fifa directed EGM would be similar to their voided gathering of May 16.

“What these people are failing to understand or realise is that while we’d initially taken such a move to revoke the president’s powers, the AGM actually empowers us to now dismiss (fire) a member,” said the source.

According to Article 27 (2) of the Zifa constitution, the extraordinary congress agenda, part (q) deals with the dismissal of a person or a body.

Northen Region secretary, Mushonga said they were now even more determined to achieve their goal of removing Dube despite ongoing intimidation and threats.

“To us Dube was fired from football and is only in office on a technicality, but what we also need to point out is that this isn’t about councillors against Dube; it’s about saving our football,” said Mushonga.

Zifa councillors expressed their dissatisfaction at the May 16 meeting, making it clear Dube had lost their confidence and that his leadership had only brought frustration with mediocre national team results and a growing ambivalence that spells disaster for the marketing of football in the country.

There are also growing fears that Zifa might fail to heed Fifa’s directive to hold an EGM on June 16 after the association’s chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze flew out of the country to Zurich, Switzerland on Monday for the Fifa congress without notifying assembly members as per the association’s constitution.

The Fifa congress starts tomorrow and ends on Friday.

The constitution states that members must be notified of the meeting, place and agenda at least 14 days prior to the gathering.

Mashingaidze flew out with Dube and Hara.

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