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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

POLICE are keen to interview 32 Zifa councillors who were allegedly paid bribe money ahead of the 2018 Zifa elections that ushered in Felton Kamambo as the Zifa president with Gift Banda winning the deputy presidency post.

The bribe money totalling just over $8 000 was paid by one of the candidates for the Zifa executive committee post and the suspect ( name supplied) has since had his statement recorded by the police Generals in Harare in which he claimed the money was for ‘lunch and other incidentals’. The official exchange rate was 1.1.

“Had it not been the lockdown due to Covid-19 we could have covered a lot of ground. These councillors are spread all over. Some are provincial chairmen, others regional chairmen and members of those leagues. Its a shame and from our preliminary investigations those elections were just a farce. One of the candidates, we are told was paying in cash which makes it difficult to prove but one councillor is a willing witness to that,” said a police source.

The source said a total of $8110 was paid to the councillors via the mobile money transfer system, with figures ranging from $400 to $1700, depending on the influence that each individual councillor was deemed to have.

Three of the ‘highly influential councillors’ who got over a $1000 each are said to be in Harare, Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces (names supplied).

“We have also recorded statements from a former executive committee member who said procedurally, the association takes care of the candidates’ meals, accommodation and so called incidentials, so we shall be keen to get clarity on why this individual used his own money,” said the police source.