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Xolisani Gwesela

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
CLUBS have described Zifa as ruthless and insensitive after the football mother body came up with what they feel are huge licence fees for coaches and players.
Communications manager of the cash-strapped organisation Xolisani Gwesela claimed that all national associations under Fifa levy such fees but investigations by Chronicle Sport on three neighbouring countries yesterday revealed that no such fees are charged.

The national soccer mother body, whose president Cuthbert Dube was recently quoted in some media circles saying he would want to slash gate charges for Premier Soccer League teams to as little as $1 so as to bring back fans to the stadia, is set to get just under $135,000 in PSL coaches’ and Division One players’ licences only.

The figure will rise when Division Two and Three as well as women’s football players’ fees are factored in.

According to the fees schedule, a PSL coach who sits on the bench should pay a registration fee of $200 if he is a Zimbabwean and $500 if he is a foreigner.  With the elite league having 16 clubs, each with a minimum of six members on the technical bench, the clubs will part with a combined total of $19,700 including Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu’s $500.

For Division One clubs, who are 64 in total and with a pool of 30 players at $50 each, Zifa will have an extra $96,000 from player registration and another $19,200 from the 192 technical team members in the four Division One leagues.

“This is surely madness and daylight robbery. We are reeling in serious debts already, part of which were caused by Zifa through their levies during our games but they go on and demand such astronomical fees,” fumed one club administrator who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation.

Fireband Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi was fined and sanctioned by the Dube administration following an attack on the leadership and lack of football sponsorship. He was charged with bringing the game of football into disrepute.

Another club representative called on the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) to intervene immediately and stop what he called Zifa’s ruthlessness on already overburdened clubs.

“The Ministry of Sports should also do something, instead of just talking.  This is so unfair to clubs in this tight economy,” said the club executive who also did not want to be named.

Said another club official: “This is clearly a fundraising gimmick by Zifa but surely, there must be a way of engaging us as stakeholders than this.”
Gwesela said Zimbabwe was not the only country charging the fees.  He said this is the practice in all Fifa associations.

“Those are statutory amounts that have to be paid.  It’s the norm worldwide and we don’t feel we are fleecing anyone,” he said.

The Zifa finance committee sets the fees schedule, but they are supposed to be on the budget and debated by assembly members before they are passed.
Botswana Football Association technical director Benny Kgomela said his organisation only sets minimum qualifications as a requirement for a coach to sit on the bench. No fees are charged.

“Clubs affiliate to us and they are the ones we charge naturally, not coaches, why should we?” asked Kgomela.

His Zambian counterpart, Honour Janza expressed surprise why coaches should be made to pay a fee when they pay to attend courses.

“We follow Fifa and Caf guidelines that what entitles a coach to sit on the bench is his or her qualifications.  Yes clubs register players as well as coaches after paying minimal affiliation fees but other than that there is no specific and separate fee that our coaches pay,” said Janza, a respected figure in Zambia.

South Africa Football Association’s spokesman, Dominic Chimhavi also said their coaches are not charged anything for sitting on the bench.

“No we don’t,” said the Zimbabwe-born former journalist, adding, “It’s only the qualification of the coach, not pocket, that qualifies him to sit on the bench.  However we have also set up parameters that will be effected from 2016 that all our coaches should have a worldwide recognised qualification like the Uefa coaches.”