The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) board is continuing to engage stakeholders to gather more input on the best way to disburse the coronavirus (Covid-19) relief funds coming from Fifa as well as Caf.
Zifa are set to receive a total of US$1,8 million as part of the Covid-19 relief fund, that is US$1,5 million from Fifa and
US$300 000 from Caf. From the Fifa allocation, US$500 000 is specifically meant for women football.
On Friday, the Zifa leadership engaged councillors from the Northern Region in Harare before they met the Central as well as Southern regions yesterday. A meeting with the Eastern Region is scheduled for today. Zifa president, Felton Kamambo, board members, Phillemon
Machana, Bryton Malandule and general-secretary Joseph Mamutse are some of those who attended the consultative meetings yesterday.
Machana, the Zifa board member in charge of finance said the reason for engaging the councillors was for purposes of gathering input before the association’s hierarchy meets tomorrow to make a final decision.
“We met all councillors under Northern Region on Friday, Central and Southern regions on Saturday, then Eastern Region on Sunday. We are having a board meeting on Monday to make a decision so that by the time the money comes we would have decided on the disbursement,’’ Machana said.
He could not be drawn to say what has been the general consensus from these meetings, stating that it was best for the process to come to an end so that in the end they would have spoken to all football stakeholders through their representatives.
“It’s premature to say what really came out of the meetings, it’s best when we have met everyone, it’s best to allow the consultative meetings to finish then consider input from the entire football community represented by the councillors. The whole is when we finish, we should have talked to everyone,’’ he said.
Last month, Zifa met the leadership of the 18 Premier Soccer League clubs where a submission was made that the Covid-19 relief funds be given out in foreign currency.
Zifa, who are yet to receive the funds from Fifa and Caf have so far disbursed an equivalent of US$175 000, which went to the four regions and women’s football in local currency at the prevailing auction rate. The four Zifa regions shared US$100 000 while the 19 Women Super League teams got US$75 000 to split among themselves. The football mother body used part of the US$500 000 forward funds from Fifa and US$200 000 annual grant from Caf, which they will replace when relief money comes. — @Mdawini_29
