The Sunday News
Sports Reporter
ZIFA president Phillip Chiyangwa and vice-president Omega Sibanda have thrown their hats into the ring to contest in the forthcoming Zanu-PF primary elections.
If successful in the party primaries, they will represent the ruling party as Parliamentary candidates for Zvimba South (Mashonaland West province) and Vungu (Midlands) respectively. Chiyangwa is however, not new in national politics after having been an MP for Chinhoyi before and a provincial chairman. He will contest in the primaries against Jesca Tapfumanei, Chrispen Saidi and Sign Chabvonga.
Sibanda will be up against Muzondiwa Mpofu, Bongani Rukanda, Lt-Col (Rtd) Tenias Shava, Jasphat Madubeko and Letha Mabandla. The former Highlanders FC executive member, Sibanda, just like Chiyangwa, said he would continue in football leadership even if he wins the ticket to go to Parliament.
“I will continue to serve football. It is my passion. But I also have a desire to serve my country in national politics and I have a lot that I believe I can do for the people of Vungu constituency where I was born and bred. There are many football leaders in other parts of the world who are also into national politics and in fact, football stands to benefit if there are people who are in both structures of governance. I’m sure sport and football in particular will grow if we have football leaders in Parliament because they can have direct input in national sport policies. I also have a lot of development projects in the pipeline for the people of Vungu and I was motivated by the new political dispensation to enter the race to Parliament. I believe we can further uplift the lives of our people with the policies introduced by the new political dispensation,” he said.
Sibanda said nothing bars football leaders from taking part in national politics citing Caf president Ahmad Ahmad, who is a former sports minister and senator in Madagascar. The state Minister for Youth and Children Affairs in Uganda, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi is the vice-president of the Federation of Uganda Football Association and chairperson of Uganda Premier League side Express FC. South African Football president, Danny Jordaan is former Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality.
