ZIFA elections set for giant step

14 Jan, 2025 - 09:01 0 Views

Eddie Chikamhi

Zimpapers Sports Hub

THE march towards the watershed ZIFA elections is set to take a giant step tomorrow with the announcement of the list of candidates as well as the convocation of the elective ordinary Congress as required by the statutes.

According to the election roadmap, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee have also set tomorrow as the deadline for the confirmation of the 78 delegates that will attend the congress and take part in the voting process.

The delegates, widely known as councillors, form the electoral college and these are the people seconded to the Congress by the ZIFA members.

The ZIFA Normalisation Committee confirmed recently the elections for the new ZIFA board will go ahead despite the appeals lodged by some disqualified office aspirants at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as well as at the High Court of Zimbabwe.

Disgruntled nominees – Benjani Mwaruwari and Gift Banda – have taken their cases to the Switzerland-based CAS while Themba Mliswa and Walter Magaya approached the High Court for seek redress.

Outgoing Premier Soccer League chairman Farai Jere was also adjudged by the Ethics Committee to have fallen short of the eligibility criteria and he decided against appealing the decision.

The trio of Mwaruwari, Jere and Mliswa had wanted to contest for the presidency while former ZIFA vice-president Banda had aimed to return to the same office.

Considering that the CAS process takes long and, barring a court injunction between now and January 25, the ZIFA elections will go ahead as planned.

ZIFA Normalisation Committee member responsible for legal affairs Nyasha Sanyamandwe outlined the roadmap, which is now nearing its completion.

“We will send our convocation, in accordance with the ZIFA statutes. It’s at least 10 days before the Congress and we will notify members on the 15th of January,” she told journalists recently.

“The convocation will be sent through in accordance with the statutes, as well for purposes of adhering to constitutional provisions for convening a Congress.

“We will send through in that convocation the official list of candidates who will be voted for and then we’ll also request our members to give us the list of delegates who will then be in a position to participate in this Congress.

“And, this has to be in accordance with Article 27 of the current ZIFA statutes; the delegates for each member of ZIFA.

“The autonomy of the ZIFA membership has since changed since the adoption of the statutes and we would need the members to adhere to the current constitutional or ZIFA statutes provisions and then come the 25th, that’s when we will conduct the electoral process,” said Sanyamandwe.

Six candidates will contest for the association’s presidency, and these are veteran football administrator Martin Kweza, former footballer Makwinji Soma-Phiri, ex-ZIFA board member Philemon Machana, former Premier Soccer League chairman Twine Phiri, football administrator Marshall Gore, and business executive Nqobile Magwizi.

The battle for the vice-presidency will pit 10 candidates who include Mavis Gumbo, Patience Mutumwa, Winnet Murota, Joyce Kapota, Loveness Mukura, Kennedy Ndebele, Omega Sibanda, Peter Dube, Francis Nyamutsamba and James Takavada.

According to the new ZIFA constitution, the association will elect two vice-presidents with one of the slots reserved exclusively for female candidates.

About 39 candidates are vying for the six ordinary board member positions. The campaign trail has hit full swing in the last few days with candidates selling their manifestos via both the traditional and new media.

Some of the candidates have also been moving around the country to meet the councillors as part of the campaign. More campaign activities are expected as the preparations approach the final week.

The ZIFA elections are set to take place in 11 days’ time at the Rainbow Towers.

“The Electoral Committee is fully committed to conducting the elections in a fair, transparent, and orderly manner,” said Sanyamandwe.

The new ZIFA executive committee shall consist of 11 members. These will include the president, the two vice-presidents, six committee members and two ex-officio members representing the PSL and Zimbabwe Women’s Football.

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