Twine Phiri’s fate at PSL hangs in balance Twine Phiri
TWINE PHIRI

TWINE PHIRI

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Caps United president Twine Phiri’s continued reign as Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman now lies in the hands of new Makepekepe supremo and Harare businessman, Farai Jere.On Saturday, Jere acquired a controlling stake in Caps United by a conversion into equity the more than $1.4 million that the club owed him having pumped the funds into the team’s operations for six years up to 2013.

Should Phiri be removed as Caps United boss, he is highly likely to lose his position as PSL chair and a seat on the Zifa board. The PSL ideally wants its boss to be a decision maker at club level and the loss of a controlling stake in the Green Machine is set to jeopardise his chances of remaining at the helm of the league.

This will open the way for Highlanders boss Peter Dube to take over the running of the country’s flagship football league.

According to the PSL constitution, Dube will act in that capacity until the league’s next PSL congress.

“If the chairman (PSL) is permanently prevented from performing his official function and his position becomes vacant (e.g. death, resignation, unexcused absence from the emergency committee for three consecutive meetings), loss of membership/relegation, the vice-chairman shall represent him until the next congress. The congress shall elect a new chairman, if necessary,” reads Article 38, part VI of the PSL constitution.

According to Article 21 of the PSL statutes; the congress is composed of 16 delegates that must be either the chairperson or president to the member that they represent and be appointed or elected by the appropriate body of that member. They must also be able to produce evidence of this upon request.

Jere completed the takeover of the Green Machine at the weekend and now enjoys 80 percent ownership while Phiri owns the remaining 20 percent.

Jere yesterday confirmed that he was now the new Caps United president.

Lewis Uriri, who together with Nhamo Tutisani had applied to the High Court for the liquidation of Caps United, is now chairman of the board of directors.

Jere yesterday played down the possibility of Phiri losing his PSL chairmanship and consequently his position as Zifa board member by virtue of him being PSL boss saying he was “likely to be the club chairman”.

“I’m the president of the club and Uriri is the chairman of the board of directors while Phiri is the vice chairman. He is likely to be the club executive committee chairman,” said Jere in a brief interview.

The Caps United executive committee is yet to be appointed but according to the club licensing requirements, whose implementation the PSL is strongly pushing for, the present set up at Caps United is the most ideal.

Part of the requirements of the club licensing is that they must be a chief executive officer who will be involved with the day to day running of the club while the board of directors will oversee policy issues.

Makepekepe has a chief executive officer Joe Makuvire, who will be in charge of the day to day running of the club.

Uriri has already made a bold declaration that theirs was an ambitious mission to turn the Green Machine into a dominant football force in Zimbabwe.

Jere’s takeover of the country’s third biggest club was in almost similar fashion with how South African business mogul Irvin Khoza assumed full control of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates.

Khoza was persuaded to return and take over the club’s administration duties in 1991 after problems threatened to sink the ship. He reportedly only agreed to return on condition that he had full control of the club.

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