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TWINE PHIRI

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Twine Phiri has challenged Zifa councillors to safeguard football interests and make wise decisions on constitutional amendments when they meet in Harare this morning.

The Zifa Southern Region proposed constitutional ammendments that seek to drastically weaken the Premier Soccer League.

According to a document signed on Friday, October 15 by regional representatives titled, “Proposed amendments to the constitution from the Southern Region”, the region wants 10 articles of the constitution amended, with the biggest being the reduction of PSL delegates to the Zifa congress from the present 16 to just four.

Fifa has asked Zifa to submit the controversial constitutional amendments proposed by the Southern Region for assessment to see if they are compatible with the world football governing body’s statutes.

Zifa Southern Region board member Tumediso Mokoena Ndlovu, acting Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province chairman Francis Ntuta and Zifa Matabeleland North chairman Denis Tshuma are signatories of the controversial document that was sent to the national association.

The region wants 10 articles of the constitution amended, with the biggest being the reduction of PSL delegates to the Zifa congress from 16 to just four.

The Southern Region also wants the Zifa headquarters to be moved to 160 Enterprise Road, Harare — a property owned by Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa. Zifa owns 53 Livingstone Avenue in Harare, which had been used as the association’s headquarters until the Chiyangwa administration took office.

The Southern Region is also lobbying for the return of regional chairpersons to the Zifa board after their automatic seats were abolished by the 2013 constitution that reduced the size of the executive committee to eight.

These proposals have drawn the ire of some sections of the football community that have questioned the sincerity of the reforms.

The move by the Southern Region to revisit the constitution passed in 2013 has attracted the attention of Fifa.

Fifa general secretary Fatma Samoura wrote to Zifa on October 25 asking the national association to submit the proposals set to be discussed at today’s Zifa annual general meeting at Rainbow Towers in the capital.

In an interview with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Phiri expressed reservations about the proposals.

“My concern is that is that of reducing PSL representation within the assembly. It has come to my attention that some people feel that because the decision to increase PSL representation was made during my era as chairman of the league, then they must destroy what Twine Phiri left. No, they’re destroying football and taking lots of steps backwards. What maybe some of the people pushing for PSL’s representation don’t know is that the process to increase that number from six to 16 started in 2009.

“When Tapiwa Matangaidze was the league’s chairman, we had a programme for all the league teams which ran from November 30 to December 5 in 2009. That programme was under Fifa’s  Win in Africa with Africa club management course. Fifa asked why PSL, who’re the torch bearers of Zimbabwean football, had only six representatives at the national assembly. It was after that where we came with a Harare Declaration which led to change of governance. The introduction of board of govenors was to safeguard clubs sponsors’ resources and having them attend the assembly was to afford them opportunities to contribute on decisions that affect football.

“Now to say to these governors who represent the interests of their sponsors that they must leave the assembly is just an insult to companies and individuals who dedicate their time to keep the flagship of Zimbabwean football competitive.

The PSL is getting or attracting corporate support because of their professionalism and Zifa as a big brand should get people who know what they’re doing and create opportunities for potential partners. I trust that Zifa councillors who I’ve lots of respect for having dealt with them before will make wise decisions and think about football at the expense of personal interests,” Phiri said.

Besides voting on proposals for the amendments of the constitution, there is an election and dismissal of members of the judicial and audits committees.

Zifa is yet to finish appointments of members of judicial committees which are disciplinary, appeals and ethics. This has led to a delay in hearing some matters.

@ZililoR