OUTSPOKEN sports journalist, blogger end fervent Zifa critic, Morehope Chizuzu, has written to the national football governing body, challenging the legality of the association’s electoral committee calling for the lower leagues’ upcoming elections.
At the same time, Chizuzu last week successfully filed his nomination papers for a position in the Zifa Northern Region board.
In a letter to Zifa chief executive officer Yvonne Mapika Manwa on Monday, Chizuzu said the Zifa electoral committee had no legal basis to come up with a road map for the elections and said in his correspondence: “The electoral committee, who are ordinarily a legal creation of the FA, should adhere to their role as stipulated in the electoral code, which governs its conduct.
“As such, I urge you to withdraw the communication, halt the illegal process and pursue the issue with members of Zifa in line with the provisions of the Zifa constitution.”
The correspondence is copied to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and Fifa, with Zifa and the SRC acknowledging receipt of the letters.
Wrote Chizuzu in his argument: “I acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated October 6, addressed to all members of Zifa, which process, has now been fully expedited and closed, breaches notwithstanding.
“It is on the basis of that notice, that as an interested party to the formulated process, that I wish to respond and bring the following for your attention.
“The Electoral Committee, in terms of the Zifa constitution (Oct 24, 2024) ,has no legal authority to conduct elections on the members of Zifa.
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“The Electoral Code is specific on its application as stated in article 1(1) that it only applies to elections of the Executive Committee members and members of the Independent committees,”
Chizuzu asserted that the electoral committee was illegally “imposing itself on members of Zifa, without expressly satisfying itself, if the member statute stipulates, the need for the electoral committee, to so act”.
“Further note that even if the member statute stipulates that the electoral committee can preside over the elections, it is the member that confers mandate on the electoral committee.”
He said Article 1(2) of the constitution indicates that the electoral committee may be delegated to preside over elections of relevant bodies of members of Zifa, provided the statutes of the said member specifically says so.
Chizuzu further stated that the electoral committee had no authority to come up with a roadmap for the elections as that could only be done by congress and no such resolution was made at congress in March.
“Accordingly, the communication emanating from the electoral committee is flawed for want of compliance with the Zifa constitution and its statutes in respect of the same.
“The electoral committee, who are ordinarily a legal creation of the FA, should adhere to its role as stipulated in the electoral code, which governs its conduct,” Chizuzu said.
He further stated: “For the record, as espoused in the statutes, the Exco, who are not members of Zifa, are elected in terms of the Constitution and subsist for the duration of the assembly that elected them.
“Which assembly elected the Exco? When? And when did they lose their life to warrant this election, in terms of the constitution?
“The very same assembly which elected the current executive in office is now being subjected to elections, in violation of the Zifa statutes.”
Chizuzu also wrote to SRC notifying the supreme sports body of the alleged breach to the Zifa statutes.
