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Over the years we have all come out of the selection rooms and process speaking with one voice, believing in democracy and fair play, democracy in that not every player who would have wanted to grace the calendar would have made it — some by purely not garnering enough votes while others would have been disqualified.

I therefore read an opinion piece by veteran sports commentator Charles Mabika and felt I should also pen my own opinion piece, lest we be viewed with a different eye.

Mabika tried but unconvincingly, to explain why he decided to take a very unpopular decision of walking out of the selection process in Kwekwe last Saturday. He says the process was flawed because we ignored our very own rules which we set as selection criteria for the Soccer Stars. If we set them, it means we can also revise them in any of our gatherings and on Saturday, it was also our annual general meeting.

But obviously that is on the minor side of my argument. The real issue is that we had to act and act decisively.
It is not proper for such an esteemed journalist like Mabika to open his mouth and say “I can not soil my name by being part of a process where journalists come to it in regional straitjackets…”.

Honestly, those are serious allegations directed at the Southern Region-based media practitioners.

For the purposes of our readers, the issue of Ashley Rampanapasi and Washington Arubi, both Dynamos players, was raised and hotly debated until one member of the panellists suggested that we put it to vote, something which Mabika seemed not to like, personally.

His lame excuse was that the PSL, Zifa or their clubs had not sanctioned them over their behaviour. In 2008, we disqualified Norman Mapeza, then a Monomotapa coach, over his alleged fistfight with a spectator at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare. Zifa or PSL never sanctioned him but members of Swaz, who were on official duty, saw it and we all had to believe them because we should be authorities by virtue of our positions. That is why somebody in Nyazura will believe me when I say player so and so scored or was the man of the match.

In the Highlanders/Dynamos match at Barbourfields Stadium, Phineas Mukwazo, Sunday News Sports Editor was covering that match and he reported that Arubi finger- gestured towards Bosso supporters in the Soweto End. We were also there and everyone saw it. Why then should we let him off the hook? During the late Mercedes Rambo Sibanda’s playing days, I was still a youngster then and not part of the panel but

I think Mabika was a member of the panel when the late great was disqualified. Even Vitalis Takawira was punished by a panel which had Mabika in it. Rambo was said to have threatened a sugarcane vendor with a knife in Mozambique while Takawira was disqualified for using a car belonging to a member of the technical department without authority.

As for one of the scribes that walked off in solidarity with Mabika on Saturday, was it not you who wrote about Mapeza’s actions in Mutare and we believed you? Why then don’t you want to believe a fellow member and professional colleague who gave you the support in 2008? Who is wearing a regional straitjacket here?

Should Highlanders supporters or any team’s fans for that matter, be insulted by a player and then Swaz goes on to award that hooligan minded chap?
No Mabika, tell Zimbabwe the truth why you walked out of that selection process.

Did you have to declare “I as the chairman of this selection event declare them eligible”? Certainly not!
Anyway, after Mabika and three other journalists walked off, the issue was put to vote and 16 voted the duo was ineligible and ONLY two thought they were eligible. Where then is the regionalism that Mabika is talking about? Is there any interest, which we are not aware of here?

And again for the benefit of you the soccer loving fan and reader, only four of us from Bulawayo sat among the panellists and when you check on the identity of the 11 players, its just three that are from this region, Joel Ngodzo, Mernard Mupera and Fortune Ncube. All the rest are playing in Harare.

Can we then honestly say people voted on regional grounds?
Eagles coach Patridge Muskwe was disqualified for his tribal slurs and no one raised qualms about it because perhaps he coaches a ‘small’ team. Why the fuss about Arubi and Rampanapasi?

Players should be role models on and off the pitch, whether PSL or anybody for that matter decides not to punish any wayward player is not our baby.
Ours is to select players of integrity not hooligans. Zimbabwe has millions of football lovers and yet only a few group of journalists are entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the best players, why? Because we are authorities in our own right and those people out there believe in us, so let us not abuse that power.-Chronicle