The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
ZIFA has resumed its constitution review process which was placed on hold following the implementation of a lockdown in March last year as Government began efforts to contain the spread of the Corona Virus.
When the lockdown was announced in March last year, Zifa had already issued dates for teams to travel around the country soliciting views on the proposed constitutional amendments.
In a statement the football governing body said they want to “align the ZIFA statutes to FIFA and CAF statutes and in line with changing times and complexities of the game”.
This time around the process will be done virtually with questionnaires being sent to stakeholders.
The last Zifa constitution was last amended in 2013 and the association feels there is need to refresh the “now outdated” laws of the game locally.
“The exercise, which is being monitored and has the full backing of world football governing body FIFA, was stalled in 2020 due to Covid-19 challenges.
“It is now proceeding virtually in full compliance with Covid-19 regulations,” read the statement.
Zifa communications and competitions manger, Xolisani Gwesela said a committee put in place for that purpose has been mandated to spearhead the process in line with the Association’ constitutional provisions.
The committee is expected to present its draft to the ZIFA council during the 2021 Annual General Meeting.
Gwesela said the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) is aware of this constitutional process.
“The Association promises its valued football loving stakeholders that while this process shall be transparent it shall however follow the dictates of the current Zifa constitution with respect to constitutional reviews.
“Further, ZIFA wishes to clarify some misinformation being peddled in some social media circles which suggests that the elective congress of ZIFA is in March 2022.
“This position is misleading and false as the next Zifa elections are to be held in December 2022 after the full four year (4 ) year duration of the current office bearers as is dictated in our statutes regarding terms and duration of office bearers.
“There is nowhere in our constitution as has been suggested in some social media spaces where it’s said elective congresses are held in March, instead the same statues say office bearers shall be in office for a period of 4 years.
“Thus, the current office bearers having been ushered in December 2018, shall constitutionally vacate such upon the expiration of the said 4 years upon which fresh elections shall be held where any interested qualified persons can participate,” he said.
