Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA have branded as a shameless act of deceit, a letter purportedly sent by FIFA and which claimed that the world football body’s independent ethics committee was probing Nqobile Magwizi’s candidature.
Magwizi has emerged a front runner in the race to become the next substantive ZIFA president at the association’s January 25 elections.
It will be the first elections at ZIFA since December 2018 when Felton Kamambo’s leadership was voted into office before their ignominious exit from the scene in November 2021.
ZIFA’s Normalisation Committee led by Lincoln Mutasa were however, yesterday taken aback by sensational and yet false claims that they were being probed by FIFA for the manner in which they had accepted Magwizi’s nomination.
Mutasa also dismissed false, claims that his committee had overturned their disqualifications and would invite back, everyone who had entered the ZIFA elections race.
“We hear there are false claims being made that everyone who had wanted to compete has been invited back, there is no such development,’’ Mutasa said.
On the allegations that Mutasa was probed, the claims were being made in a letter supposedly written by Martin Ngoga, a FIFA Ethics Committee vice-chairman.
But in the unsigned letter, Ngoga is given the title of chairperson of the committee.
An anonymous investigative sports journalist was said to have red-flagged Magwizi’s candidature in yet another attempt to smear the Harare businessman and advertising guru’s image.
And Mutasa last night scoffed at the claims that his Normalisation Committee may have breached the ZIFA constitution in the manner they went about accepting and rejecting nominations by the association’s board aspirants.
“There is no such official correspondence to us from FIFA save for what has been circulated on social media.
“This is indeed the silly season,” Mutasa said.
The former Dynamos chairman insisted that his committee had done a diligent job so far on the build-up to the elections.
“We are very clear that the process we used which was guided by the ZIFA constitution of October 2024 was above board and it was applied to all aspirants equally.
“There were no special rules for any particular candidates.
“Everything that was required by the statutes, whether it was about O’Level certificates, or that one should be resident in Zimbabwe and that one should get nominations from bona fide ZIFA members, it all in the statutes.
“For the nominations it says a ZIFA member can only and with a resolution by that member to back-to-back the nomination was followed’’.
Mutasa also said it was frivolous for those targeting his committee or other candidates to suggest that the Sports and Recreation Commission had a hand in the selection of candidates.
“It is very much imagination to suggest that SRC were involved in the nomination of candidates when everyone who took part knows only bona fide members of ZIFA signed the nominations.
“Maybe it is the work attention seekers because if one looks at ZIFA now, one has to appreciate the work that has been done in the reform process to such an extent that there has been a huge turnout of people of now wanting to be elected into ZIFA,’’ added Mutasa.
While Magwizi has been on whirlwind campaign trail around the country to meet with the electorate, better known as the councillors, is has emerged that some of his rivals have turned to a smear campaign to tarnish his image and even claim he should have been ruled ineligible on the basis that he was once on the United States sanctions.
The letter which Mutasa dismissed read in part: “Thank you for bringing your concerns to the attention of FIFA. We acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint dated 07/01/25 regarding the nomination of Mr Nqobile Magwizi for the presidency of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
“FIFA takes allegations of unethical practices, non-compliance with constitutional requirements, political interference, and vote-buying with utmost seriousness. The issues raised in your correspondence, including the allegations of undue political influence, vote-buying, and OFAC sanctions are of significant concern to FIFA’s commitment to integrity and ethical governance.’’
“In response to your complaint, the matter has been referred to the FIFA Ethics Committee, under the leadership of Chairperson Mr Martin Ngoga, for a thorough investigation.
“The committee is committed to conducting a detailed and impartial review of the allegation, ensuring full compliance with FIFA statutes and ethical standards.
“The FIFA Ethics Committee will engage with relevant parties, including ZIFA and the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), to examine the integrity of the electoral process and address any breaches of governance, ethics, or FIFA’s principles of fair play and political neutrality.”
An analysis of the letter, however, also cast a shadow on its authenticity and credibility.
The purported FIFA letter is also dated 10 January 2014.
That Ngoga’s signature conspicuous by its absence also raises questions given the tradition that all correspondence from FIFA bears the author’s signature.
Curiously not even the Confederation of African Football, a key player on the Zimbabwe question were copied.
