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This is the stance that the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League has taken to encourage its clubs to pay affiliation fees on time. The move though is likely to put Zifa on a collision course with its affiliates.

Affiliation fees have been pegged at US$2 600 for new clubs while those that were in the league last year will have to part with US$2 400 on or before 28 February. Last season clubs paid US$1 300 as affiliation fees.

Clubs that fail to pay up by the deadline risk losing their franchises.
While the Central Region clubs will fork out US$1 500 (old clubs) and US$1 750 (new clubs), Zifa Southern Region treasurer Tawanda Ruzive said they came to their fees after going through their budget.
He said they needed at least US$3 000 every month to run the office.

“The clubs accepted the budget because they understood the cost related to running the league. What happened last season is that we did not know how much was needed to run the office and that is why the affiliation fees were less.

“The other thing is that we had huge legal costs and that is why we have had to come up with these figures.
“We explained to the clubs at the annual general meeting how we came up with this season’s affiliation fees. There are issues to do with salaries and bills among other things that we considered,” said Ruzive.

Zifa Southern Region is seating on a US$22 500 deficit from last season. They have an outstanding legal costs bill of US$9 400 after having spent 2010 busy in courts after Khami United, FC Windermere and Quelaton had dragged them to court for various reasons. Ironically Ruzive is the Quelaton director.
The clubs did not contest the figures at the annual general meeting last Saturday.-Chronicle