
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA is expected to lodge its new constitution with the Sport and Recreation Commission tomorrow.
The Zifa Assembly on Friday adopted a new constitution which will culminate in the national association holding elections in January next for the eleven-member Zifa Board.
A copy of that amended constitution for which the councillors voted, was not immediately available for public consumption as protocol dictates that it must now be lodged with the Sports and Recreation Commission for approval and registration.
In line with Section 29 of the Sport and Recreation Act (Chapter 25:15), all national sporting associations’ constitutions are registered with and approved by the Sports Commission.
This enables the Sports Commission to also exercise their oversight role on associations.
Despite the constitution now awaiting the SRC’s approval and registration, one clause drew huge interest before, during and after the indaba, sparking debate among the football stakeholders and other interested parties.
World football governing body Fifa have praised the Zifa Congress for displaying a renewed commitment to redressing some of the key problems afflicting the country’s game, which were largely centred on a constitution that was last amended 11 years ago.
Zifa, are under the administration of Lincoln Mutasa’s Normalisation Committee, that was appointed by Fifa last year, met in Harare on Friday for a crunch annual general meeting that effectively set the association on path to holding an elective congress early next year.
Although there were a number of items on the agenda, the spotlight naturally fell on the draft of the amended constitution which the assembly needed to ratify or reject. And the 58 bona fide delegates of the Zifa Congress overwhelmingly voted to adopt the amendments to the constitution with 48 of them ticking the Yes box while eight objected and two ballots were spoiled.
It was the requirement that candidates for the Zifa president and his two deputies must be holders of 5 Ordinary Level passes as a basic educational entry point.

Lincoln Mutasa
That clause sailed through unanimously along all other articles captured in the amendments with Mutasa also stressing that it was vital that a Zifa leader be able to be literate and educated enough to represent the country at Fifa, Caf and other international fora.
Mutasa also urged current and former players who are still to attain their O-level passes to work on attaining them and to also seek other administrative roles that are not bound by the clause.
“The 5 O-levels section requisition as adopted is there to ensure there are literate people at the top. As for players, they should also know they can play football while supplementing academics if they aspire to lead Zifa,’’ Mutasa said.
Crucially for the Zifa Councillors, often blamed for dragging the national game into the mud and for failing to take responsibility for their actions, it must have been refreshing to hear plaudits from the Fifa head of development programmes in Africa Solomon Mudege.
Mudege led a four-man Fifa and Caf delegation that included Walter Nyamilandu Manda and David Fani from the world body Nadim Magdy came from the Confederation of African Football.
The quartet helped the Normalisation Committee trio of Rosemary Mugadza, Nyasha Sanyamandwe and Mutasa to preside over yesterday’s deliberations at Mana Resorts.
“We have taken an important step today in terms of the approval of the statutes, we have made good progress in other aspects in terms of restructuring of Zifa, signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Zifa and the SRC and I think the one which was dragging in terms of your to-do list on your mandate at Zifa was one (constitutional review)
“We at Fifa are really appreciative of everything that has happened today,’’ Mudege said.
He saluted everyone involved in the constitutional review process including those at Fifa, Caf and members of the Congress.
Mudege said he was particularly impressed by the spirit and the commitment displayed by the councillors during deliberations on the Zifa finances, the constitution and the elections roadmap.
“Their approach to this whole process and the engagements that were made were to involve as many people as possible . . . people moving from Zurich to Harare, people coming from Cairo to Harare and it is not only about people coming from Zurich but also about people coming from Chinhoyi, Bindura or Bulawayo.
“In the meeting itself people were open to discussion and everyone felt they had a part to play whether it was about discussing the finances or the statutes.
“In other member associations challenges do exist too but what we witnessed today is people coming together for the betterment of Zimbabwean football.