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Sibanda

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
THERE has been outrage over plans by Zifa to peg nomination fees for those aspiring to be board members at $10 000. Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze announced the fees during an outreach meeting in Gwanda on Saturday and they have already drawn the ire of veteran administrators who view the move as a ploy to eliminate competition.

The football motherbody has justified the move saying the fees are meant to discourage chancers.
Individuals targeting Zifa board positions will have to fork out $10 000 with Premiership aspirants parting with $5 000 while those vying for women’s football, beach soccer and five-a-side will pay $2 500.

Those that are interested in going for regional positions are expected to pay $1 500 with provincial candidates depositing $1 000 to stand for the elections while Area Zone nomination fees have been pegged at $100.

Nominations for Area Zone Leagues have already been opened with the elections set for 21 December.
The main elections will be held on 29 March 2014.

Ex-Zifa boss Vincent Pamire said there was a need to reconsider the fees as they disadvantaged potential administrators with limited funds.

“Honestly I think these Zifa people are trying to deny other people a chance to contest in the coming elections. This is clearly a deliberate ploy which will work against the good of football development.

“Football administration is not necessarily about money but it’s about the brains. There are a lot of people with football brains who will not make it because those with money and not football brains will go in and in the process it is football that will suffer,” said Pamire.

Zimbabwe Soccer Agents chairman Omega Sibanda described the nomination fees as “absolute nonsense.”
“Football administration is a voluntary thing and these fees that we are hearing are absurd. It’s as if the powers that be are trying to block others by creating an uneven environment and what I am saying is that they must just let the best candidate stand. These fees are not normal and I suspect that someone is trying to be silly because I doubt very much if those in leadership knew about these fees,” Sibanda said.

He said there was a need for Zifa to consult football stakeholders when reviewing nomination fees just like they did with the constitution review process.

Sibanda said the five years experience needed for one to qualify to hold an administrative post is enough to warrant one to stand for selection.

Former Highlanders chairman and national team manager Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda said his aspirations have been hampered.
“I wanted to come back to football administration after being approached by a number of people who believe that there is something that I can offer to the game. It is unfortunate that due to these steep nomination fees people like us former players will not be able to stand for election.

I don’t think people like Kalusha Bwalya or George Weah ever paid such nomination fees but they hold high football offices in their respective countries,” Sibanda said.

Another seasoned administrator who did not want to be named said such amounts fuel corruption.
“Truly there is no logic to pay when you are going for voluntary work. There is a danger of people engaging in unscrupulous deals when they go in office trying to recover their monies. The best thing that Zifa should have done was to let the nation know that they want to continue and don’t want any challenge,” he said.

The Zifa Matabeleland North Province chairman Dennis Tshuma said there was nothing amiss with the nomination fees.
“I have a passion for football and I think if those who want to go for Zifa posts are really sincere they will look for that money and send their nomination fees. I am going to look for that $1 000 and pay in the next two weeks. Surely, chancers will not make it,” said Tshuma.

In the run-up to the 2010 elections, Zifa were ordered by the Sport and Recreation Commission to reduce the nomination fees which were pegged between $50 and $500.

Nomination fees for presidential elections in Zimbabwe – the highest office in the land – are $500.