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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE two remaining and previously defiant Zifa executive committee members, president Felton Kamambo and committee member Phillimon Machana, have finally accepted the superiority of the Sports and Recreation Commission after agreeing to be no longer involved in association business.

Kamambo and Machana were the only defiant voices in the suspended committee after other members of the executive, Sugar Chagonda, Farai Jere, Barbra Chikosi and Bryton Malandule had decided to abide by the November 16 SRC decision to suspend the entire executive committee over a litany of charges.

Last week Kamambo and Machana approached the Administrative Court to seek recourse and soon after filing their papers, their legal team, led by Zifa lawyer Chenaimoyo Gumiro released a long worded media statement advising the nation that their clients were now back in office as a result of the appeal.

The SRC however stuck to their guns and said the suspension remained valid until overturned by the High Court or lifted by themselves.

However, Kamambo and Machana released an unsigned press release yesterday in which they finally agreed to ‘take a back seat,’ so as to avoid ‘physical confrontation’ with the SRC.

They accused the supreme sports body as disobedient to the laws of the country.

“The Zifa board wishes to advise the nation that following the lodging of its appeal with the Administrative Court which by operation of the law suspended the SRC decision to suspend permanently (dismiss) the Zifa board and the subsequent resumption of the duty by the board as shared in our previous press statement of December 3, 2021, the SRC has since directed that the board remains suspended despite the appeal, in complete disregard and disobedience to the laws of Zimbabwe.

“While the Zifa board is totally convinced that the appeal did suspend the SRC decision, it cannot however be involved in physical confrontation with the regulator.

As such the Zifa board advises the nation that, in order to avoid unnecessary drama, it shall for now take a back seat until guidance from Fifa has been received, full prosecution of the Administrative Court appeal or as and when the SRC decides to obey the laws of the land, whichever will come first.

In this particular instance, the board will no longer be involved in the day to day running of the FA in order to avoid confrontational exchanges with the SRC,” reads the communique.

Analysts yesterday said by virtue of the fact that four executive committee members have since accepted the decision to suspend them, the two remaining can not make any binding resolution on behalf of the association, including engaging lawyers whose fees will be borne by Zifa.

“Remember the lawyer is an institutional lawyer like it has been correctly pointed out by some media organisations so the decision to then spend association financial resources must be a collective one and by collective I mean a full bench of the executive committee must agree to that expenditure but now we only have two chaps masquerading as the Zifa board, which is rather incredible.

At law Kamambo and Machana’s individual or dual decisions can not bind now,” said one legal fundi.