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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

ZIFA members who are not in good standing with their affiliation fees will not be allowed to attend the association’s annual general meeting that will be held at a Harare hotel today. 

Zifa has 23 members who contribute a total of 60 delegates to the congress.

The position throws into doubt the presence of Premier Soccer League after it emerged that none of the 18 teams paid their fees directly to the national association.

“We pay our affiliation fees to the PSL, we pay $11 000 but I don’t know Zifa’s portion,” said a club chairman. However, according to the Zifa constitution the PSL is not a member of the association with only clubs recognised as members of Zifa. 

In a memo to delegates which was gleaned by Chronicle Sport, Zifa chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse said only paid-up members shall attend today’s indaba.

“Kindly note that only paid up members will be allowed to attend the Annual General Meeting on 25th of May 2019,” reads Mamutse’s letter.

A source at Zifa said Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland Central and Harare provinces as well as Area Zones have never paid their dues to the association and if the directive is to be followed, today’s meeting will be attended by 37 delegates.

According to the Zifa constitution, 64 delegates are supposed to attend its annual general meeting but they are presently 60 since there is no national division one league which would have contributed four delegates.

Article 23 of the document says decisions passed by the congress shall only be valid if the absolute majority (more than 50%) of the members who are entitled to vote are represented. 

“If a quorum is not achieved, a second Congress shall take place seven days after the first, with the same agenda. A quorum is not required for the second meeting unless any item on the agenda proposes the amendment of the Statutes of Zifa, the election of the president and election of the vice-presidents and members of the executive committee, the dismissal of one or a number of members of a body of Zifa, the expulsion of a member of Zifa or the dissolution of Zifa,” reads the constitution.