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Joseph Mamutse

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA has written to its 10 provincial chairpersons requesting that they submit names of people that will vote in the association’s impending elections.

Nominations for the provincial elections set for September 1 open on July 23 and close on August 6.

In a letter written to all provincial chairpersons by Zifa chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse referenced “Request for electoral college for provincial elections”, the chairpersons have up to July 6 to present their register.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association kindly requests your esteemed office to furnish the secretariat with what you think is the electoral college for the impending provincial elections,” wrote Mamutse.

Zifa critics have hit out at the national football association, raising questions over the mother body’s register.

Ordinarily, the Zifa secretariat should be in possession of an updated register.

“Most of their affiliates are at the mid-season stage and one wonders what Zifa superintends. Seriously, how do you ask a province to send names of voters that they think constitute the electoral college for the province? Underline the word ‘think’ because it raises eyebrows as to who among the affiliates is in good standing. It’s known that the provincial college consists of Division Two and Three clubs, who send a delegate for each club. Area zones also vote at province level,” said a critic.

“Zifa should have compiled its voters roll before announcing election dates. How do you set elections in motion without a register? What happened with the area zones and other affiliates whose nominations have closed? Did they ask them to submit people who they ‘think’ should vote? All this stinks,” said another critic.

Efforts to get a comment from Mamutse to clarify the process were fruitless. — @ZililoR