The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
POLICE are in the course of interviewing Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) councillors who are witnesses in the alleged electoral fraud cases relating to the local football governing body’s 2018 elections which ushered into office the Felton Kamambo leadership.
Some of the Zifa councillors are accused of receiving bribes to vote for certain candidates during the elections. Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed that they were in the process of gathering evidence from witnesses in cases reported by former Zifa president, Philip Chiyangwa and his successor Kamambo. Police have been directed by the courts to get statements from witnesses before the dockets are sent back to prosecutors.
“There are several Zifa cases that have been reported to the police by Philip Chiyangwa and Kamambo and his team. Our Commercial Crimes Unit is carrying out the investigations, the courts have directed the police to interview some councillors as part of the investigative process.
Philip Chiyangwa
“Some have interviewed, some are yet to be interviewed. It is only after the interviews that they will be a determination on which ones are witnesses and which ones are not. It is better to wait for our Commercial Crimes Union to conclude investigations,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Even though the police spokesperson could not provide the exact number of councillors part of the investigation, it is understood they are 32.
Zifa Southern Region chairman Andrew Tapela, secretary-general Mehluli Thebe and recently reinstated Bulawayo chairman Francis Ntutha are some of those said to have provided statements to the police. Martin Kweza, the Zifa Northern Region acting chairman, one of those said to be on the list of councillors to be interrogated said he has not yet been interviewed by the police.
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