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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE eagerly awaited Zifa elections set for Saturday have run into a technical hitch and the association’s electoral committee now has to decide whether four councillors vying for board positions would be allowed to vote.

Beach soccer boss Joseph Musasiri, Zifa Central Region chairman Felton Kamambo, Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza and the Eastern Region’s Piraishe Mabena, are councillors by virtue of leading the Zifa affiliates and voted in the 2014 elections and were also involved in the revocation of the Cuthbert Dube-led Zifa board’s mandate in October.

However, now that they are contesting for Zifa board positions, the issue of suitability to cast a vote has come under the spotlight and the committee will make a determination on whether they are conflicted or not.

The four are contesting for four Zifa board positions against former referee Wilfred Mukuna, Caps United’s Lewis Uriri, Beadle Gwasira from the now defunct Lengthens FC, Munyaka Jackson, Phillemon Machana, who owns a women’s soccer team, and former Warriors’ midfielder Edzai Kasinauyo.

If Mandaza, Musasiri, Kamambo and Mabena are allowed to vote, it means the ground will not be level as other candidates vying for board seats can only count on 54 votes out of the 58 councillors that will vote on Saturday. The four will obviously vote for themselves.

The most logical way will be for the four councillors to send other people in leadership positions at their affiliates to vote.

Zifa spokesman Xolisani Gwesela said the electoral committee will sit tomorrow to decide on the voting status of the four councillors.

“The position of the said councillors you’re asking about will be determined by the electoral committee when they meet on Thursday,” said Gwesela.

The Zifa electoral committee comprises retired Labour Court judge Justice Selo Nare, former Zifa vice-president Tendai Madzorera, sports administrator Elizabeth Banda, former prosecutor Musekiwa Mbanje, legal practitioner Tichawana Nyahuma, Zifa High Performance Technical Committee member Charles Sibanda and lawyer Tinofara Hove.

Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze, Cornelius Bwanya, Passious Masunda and Ralph Maganga are ex-officio members of the committee.

Zifa also broke the ice on Mandaza, Musasiri, Kamambo and Mabena’s positions after the elections.

“The constitution is silent on the issue of councillors standing for board positions to resign or not before contesting. So, with the constitution silent, what will happen is that the said councillors, in the event that they lose Saturday’s elections, will revert to their positions,” said Gwesela.

Should they make it onto the Zifa board, the affiliates they head will elect new leaders.