Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League is pushing for a Zifa Assembly motion that will see its chairman automatically becoming the Zifa vice-president.

Presently, the PSL has always deployed its chairman onto the Zifa executive committee, as the Zifa constitution stipulates that a delegate from the PSL is automatically incorporated.

“What we have gathered to date is that the league wants to have a more influential role in the running of football in Zimbabwe and that can only be the vice-president’s post. They are therefore busy selling the idea among other members and delegates of the Zifa Assembly so that the league chairman becomes the Zifa vice-president and we understand the idea was mooted by the secretariat,” said a source.

Zifa has 11 members and according to Article 10 of the Zifa constitution, these members are made up of 18 clubs of the PSL, the national league, four regional leagues (southern, northern, eastern and central), 10 provincial leagues, the area zones, Naph, Nash, National Association of Tertiary Institution Leagues, Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League, beach football and Futsal.

All these make up 62 delegates to the Zifa Assembly, which currently has 58 because of a non-existent National League.

Zifa is set to hold its elections on December 1 where delegates will vote for a president, vice-president and five executive committee members.

The other two members of the Zifa executive come from the PSL and Women’s Soccer League.

Incumbent president Phillip Chiyangwa and his deputy Omega Sibanda as well as Phillimon Machana have already declared that they will seek re-election.

The PSL will hold its elections on September 9 where Caps United chairman Farai Jere will fight it out with Triangle United’s Lovemore Matikinyidze.

“Any constitutional amendment obviously cannot be overnight and needs the Zifa Assembly to endorse it first. Constitutionally, the PSL can’t move anything because it’s a non-existent entity in terms of the Zifa bible, which recognises clubs of the PSL as members of Zifa, not the PSL itself so all the 18 clubs have to append their signatures if the motion is to see any light at the next assembly meeting,” said a lawyer, who requested anonymity.

In terms of Article 12 of the Zifa constitution, a member can draw up proposals for inclusion in the agenda of the congress.