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Jonathan Mshingaidze

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ANGRY at the sudden postponement of the Zifa annual general meeting, some councillors contemplate approaching Caf to compel the local football mother body to hold the crucial meeting tomorrow as scheduled or in the next few days. Zifa on Wednesday unilaterally called off the meeting and slotted it for June 27. The association’s chief executive officer, Jonathan Mashingaidze said the reasons were to do with Zifa’s poor financial position due to national team commitments.

The move invited the wrath of the supreme sports body, Sport and Recreation Commission whose director general Charles Nhemachena condemned Zifa as a failed institution while also blasting what he called passive councillors.

“Honestly we cannot continue to have these two gentlemen (Cuthbert Dube, the Zifa president and Mashingaidze) doing as they please, destroying our football. Remember we wrote a petition to them calling for an extraordinary meeting but they ignored us and said our concerns will be looked at during the annual general meeting and now they are postponing the meeting. This is unacceptable,” said a councillor.

He added: “We are therefore consulting to see if we can, with the constitution as our tool, approach Caf about this. We want the meeting to go ahead because Zimbabwe football is dying, if not dead. Sponsors can’t come to such a failed organisation.”

According to Article 28, subsection Two of the Zifa constitution, the executive committee shall convene an extraordinary congress if one third of the members of the Zifa assembly make such a request in writing. The request shall specify the items for the agenda. An extraordinary congress shall be held within three months of the request. If an extraordinary congress is not convened, the members who requested it may convene the congress themselves. As a last resort, the members may request assistance from Caf or Fifa.

Sub-section 3 says the members shall be notified of the place, date and agenda at least 14 days before the date of the extraordinary congress.

Part of sub-section 4 reads: “When an extraordinary congress is convened upon the request of members, the agenda must contain the points raised by those members.” The agenda of an extraordinary congress may not be altered, according to sub-section 5 of the Zifa constitution.

Sources said the issue about the shortage of money was just an excuse with the real reason for the postponement being the upcoming Fifa elections in May which Dube wants to attend. He has already pledged his support for the incumbent Fifa president Sepp Blatter.