daniel chigunwe
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA Electoral Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa says his committee is not inventing any new rules ahead of the election but is merely “trying to stick to the book.”
The football association’s watershed polls, the first after a rare period of normalisation, are scheduled for Harare on January 25.
Today marks exactly a month before those elections to select a substantive executive committee, which will replace the ousted Felton Kamambo board that left in ignominious fashion after first being suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission in November 2021.
The ZIFA Congress then weighed in with a revocation of the board’s mandate in April 2022 before FIFA appointed Mutasa to head the Normalisation Committee.
But the election tempo moved into gear on Monday when Mutasa’s committee, with the aid of the Ethics and Integrity Committee, released the names of the aspirants who had succeeded to be candidates.
That much-awaited announcement also touched off a storm with those who fell by the wayside voicing strong protestations over their disqualification.
Among the casualties of the Electoral Committee’s rule book were the potential election heavyweights: Farai Jere, Walter Magaya, Themba Mliswa, and Benjani Mwaruwari.
After initially contesting his ejection from the race, Jere later yesterday backed down from appealing against the decision, arguing that he had decided to “let football be the winner.
After receiving some criticism from the aggrieved parties, Mutasa also reiterated his weekend message that his Normalisation Committee, which is acting as the Electoral Committee in these polls, was being guided by the amended ZIFA constitution and the association’s electoral code.
This also came as Jere had questioned the decision to bar him from contesting.
“We have not invented the rules and regulations.
“As the Electoral Committee, we are just following what the ZIFA Congress wants,” Mutasa told Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday.
“We are implementing the rules given to us by the Congress regarding a lot of issues, including the issue of 5 O’ Levels.
“We are trying to stick to the book,” added Mutasa.
Mutasa also wrote to Jere advising him of the reasons that had led to his disqualification.
“I regret to inform you that following the integrity checks required for candidacy in the upcoming Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) executive committee elections, It has been determined that you have not met the necessary criteria to proceed as a candidate. Specifically, this pertains to the last submission of your name change on the O and A Level certificates.
“We understand that this news may be disappointing. The integrity checks are a crucial part of our commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct within our organisation. This process is essential for fostering trust and transparency in our operations and ensuring that all candidates meet the rigorous standards expected by the football community.
“We encourage you to remain engaged with ZIFA and continue to contribute to the development of football in Zimbabwe. Should you have any questions regarding the integrity check process or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
“Should you wish to appeal, please kindly note the process is outlined in Article 85(9) of the ZIFA Statutes,’’ read part of Mutasa’s letter to Jere.
According to Mutasa, appellants can lodge their protests with the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, in line with the said Article 85(9) of the ZIFA constitution.
However, Jere has decided against pursuing the CAS appeal despite earlier writing to the Electoral Commit-tee questioning his exclusion.
In that letter, Jere had also explained his situation.
“I wish to bring to your attention and emphasise that earlier today (Monday), at approximately 08:45 am, I submitted my birth certificate and the 2002 Government Gazette reflecting my name change, which was legally processed by Manasa and Manasa Legal Practitioners.
“This was done to ensure all my nomination documentation is accurate and complete, as my O level and A level certificates submitted contain my former surname, Mutimbo, whereas my University First Degree and Masters of Business Administration transcripts contain the surname Jere,” he said.
The outgoing Premier Soccer League chairperson insisted that he had looked at the global picture in deciding to accept his election’s fate.
“ZIFA explained to me that I submitted my notice of name change late when the FIFA governance body had already concluded the vetting process,” said Jere.
“Before 2000, I used the name Farai Mutimbo, and all my Ordinary and Advanced Level certificates bear that name.
“Then I officially changed to Farai Jere in 2000, and my tertiary qualifications have that name, so the clarity came, but I was disappointed that they could have requested the notice in time, and I could also be contested, but remember, everything happens for a reason,” he said.
“I am a leader, so I have to make decisions not just for myself.
“I want football to be the winner, not Jere.
“So if I appeal, it means that it’s an emergency interdict to stop the elections until my case is heard.
“My case is simple, and I can easily win it, but the time that it will take means I will delay the elections, so is that good for our football?
“I am a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports chairperson, so I can’t be seen delaying the elections. Zimbabwean football needs to heal and move forward to start afresh with new leadership, so I am allowing that to happen because football must come first, and football must be the winner.”
The trio of Magaya, Mliswa, and Mwaruwari have also since been furnished with explanations from the Normalisation Committee on why they have been barred from contesting.
Mwaruwari yesterday wrote to Mutasa’s committee through his lawyers, D Mthombeni Legal Practitioners.
“Our client has noted with grave concern that his name does not appear on the list referred to above notwithstanding the fact that he strongly feels that he is suitably qualified and meets the criteria to stand for election in the forthcoming elections as ZIFA president.
“Our client is perturbed by the fact that he wasn’t formally served with any letter stating the full reasons why your committee has, by interpretation of the omission of his name on your published list, declared him not suitable to hold office as ZIFA president.”
Former Norton Member of Parliament Mliswa has also indicated that he might challenge the decision to exclude him from the list of successful candidates.
The vetting process, through which all the aspiring candidates were subjected to an eligibility test, was done with the assistance of the Ethics Committee led by renowned legal practitioner Muchadeyi Masunda.
