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Eddie Chivero

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters’ Association (ZNSSA) has urged fans to boycott all forthcoming national team matches to protest Zifa president Cuthbert Dube’s continued stay in power.The association’s militant stance comes after Zifa called off a Fifa directed joint congress set for June 16 and pencilled it in for June 27 in breach on the association’s constitution.

A fuming ZNSSA president Eddie Chivero described the decision to move the congress to June 27 as criminal and hinted that they were considering approaching the courts for recourse.

He urged Zifa councillors to go ahead with their extraordinary general meeting as planned because they gave due notice and the 90 days would have elapsed if the meeting does not go ahead on June 16.

“In any case, if the councillors do not do that (hold the meeting), we as supporters will take them to court because we are not affiliated to Fifa and therefore not bound by the clause that we should not take football matters to court. As supporters, we are saying these guys are failing to honour their own constitution and the only people that can make them honour it are the courts of law,” said Chivero.

The Zimbabwe senior national team plays away in Malawi on June 13 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier before hosting the Comoros on June 21 in an African Nations’ Championship qualifier.

“If there are any games in between now and the time that they are going to hold the meeting, we are saying to the fans boycott those games. Even service providers should also boycott because Cuthbert is in office illegitimately; the councillors passed a vote of no confidence in him,” Chivero said.

He said the councillors had spoken that they no longer have trust in the leadership of Dube and, therefore, “how can we the major stakeholders trust him with our football now?”.

“We are not going to leave them to make unilateral decisions; we are also upset with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) because they have been quiet for a long time. The SRC should tell Zifa that they have failed to honour their constitution, which they registered with the Commission. Meetings have been held without the (Zifa) vice-president (Omega Sibanda); without the board member finance (Lawrence Gwarada) and the SRC is quiet about it,” he said.