The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
FOUR Zifa Bulawayo Province members who had indicated they were resigning from their posts over the reinstatement of chairman, Francis Ntuta have rescinded their decision.
Vice-chairman, Allan “Ripper” Mpofu told the media last month that he and board members, Otrick Siziba, Charles Ndlovu and Madza Takawira had opted to leave their positions.
Sources at Zifa said the quartet had responded to requests that they write individual and signed letters stating that they were resigning but the mother body only got letters saying they have not resigned.
“They wrote a group letter which, however, was not accepted by the association, which wrote to them in return seeking they communicate individually and also sign the letters to ensure it is legally binding. They, however, wrote back last week saying they have not resigned,” said the source.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela confirmed they recently received correspondence from the quartet saying they have not resigned from their posts. Last month, Gwesela had said communication from the four stating they are resigning had come through to the association.
Efforts to get a comment from Mpofu were fruitless. Ntuta was suspended over a year ago by fellow board members after he was accused of unilaterally paying himself a sum of $1 020 without approval of the board, which he claimed was money owed to him by the province.
The Zifa board reinstated him last month and in their letter to Mpofu the association ordered the Bulawayo executive to “engage independent auditors to examine their books for the period of the alleged offence” and use that as basis for handing over the matter to a disciplinary board.
Ntuta was quoted in the media saying his suspension had more to do with personality clashes than anything insisting he was owed money and the board knew he had to recover his dues. Another board member John Mutero had opted against resigning from his post and this had left him and Ntuta being the only members of the committee.
