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Mr Edward Siwela

Eddie Chikamhi, Harare Bureau
THE Sport and Recreation Commission have called on ZIFA to furnish them with details pertaining to the governance of local football and other issues of interest that have been raised by some sections of the game’s community.

Sports Commission board chairman, Edward Siwela, flanked by board member Nicholas Vingirai, acting director-general Patience Kabanda and spokesperson Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, told a press conference they have tasked ZIFA to explain the state of the affairs at the organisation.

However, ZIFA’s position was recently clarified by FIFA which ruled that the current executive remains in office until the next elections are held this year and the SRC have to play their game carefully lest they are accused of interfering in the game.

”The SRC have to be seen to be saying something but, after their hardline stance and even threats from their pseudo-spokespeople, that they were going to deregister ZIFA, this must surely be an anti-climax,” a ZIFA Councillor told this newspaper.

”The horse has already bolted, the train has passed, once FIFA made their determination, everything becomes secondary and the SRC haven’t helped their case because they have been viewed as being partial.

”If this was a face-saving move by the SRC it was as bad as it gets and their problem is that the ZIFA executive mandate is set to extend beyond the mandate of this Commission.”

ZIFA are already in the process of organising the election with the electoral committee, which was put in place recently, expected to announce the road map soon.

“After noting that considerable interest was generated around the tenure of office of the current ZIFA Executive Committee and other related corporate governance issues, the Board resolved to invoke Section 30 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act [Chapter 25:15],” said Siwela.

“In terms of this section, a process will be rolled out in the next couple of days to afford the ZIFA Executive Committee an opportunity to make representations on the matter surrounding its tenure of office as well as the other related corporate governance issues.

”Once the process has been concluded, the results will be made public,” added Siwela.

The Sports Commission board chairman said they are hoping that ZIFA should have responded to their directive by June 30.  Siwela said the Sports Commission, as a statutory body regulated by an Act of Parliament, will be bound by the provisions of its constitution in the whole process.

Siwela said they were also aware the ZIFA board had co-opted new members following the resignation of Felton Kamambo and Piraishe Mabhena.

“Remember that two of the members of the executive committee actually resigned but that left the executive committee the facility to co-opt members. There is actually a provision in the ZIFA constitution and co-opted members remain members until the next general meeting,” he said.

Siwela also fielded questions on why ZIFA had abandoned their “haunted” 53 Livingstone Avenue headquarters.

“Let me set the record straight with regards to the decision as to where a national sports association operates from. You will understand that these bodies are body-corporates and if you look into their constitution they do have a right to determine where they operate from. As SRC we do not have a right to determine where they operate from.

“You will be aware that we have associations that have offices and we do have others that are struggling even to secure offices. But that notwithstanding the right to determine where they operate from rests with the association. However should where they operate from raise issues that touch on the administration of the association, then as a regulator, we have a responsibility to inquire into that issue,” said Siwela.