Zifa to release new election fee structure

Sport
ZIFA expected to release the new election fees tomorrow after a Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) directive following outcry from various stakeholders

ZIFA is expected to release the new election fees tomorrow after a Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) directive following an outcry from various stakeholders that previously announced fees were prohibitive and discriminatory.

THANDIWE MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT

Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze said the finance committee had been working on the new fees.

“We have not yet come up with the final figures, but the finance committee is still working on the new fees. I will have the new fee structure by Thursday (tomorrow); that is when we will release them to the public,” he said.

Mashingaidze said even though they were reducing the fees which were pegged between $100 and $10 000, they had to be realistic as Zifa would not want to remain in debt after the elections.

Some of the expenses, Mashingaidze said, include accommodation, transport, electoral material and administrative costs. He said Zifa’s aim was not to fundraise as they had other activities that they use for that purpose, but the aim would be to cover all costs related to the election process.

“We want the exercise to be self-sustaining and pegging the fees in that way would ensure that. We have other ways of fundraising and this was not one of them,” he said.

SRC director-general Charles Nhemachena confirmed that they were still to see the new fee structure from the football mother body.

He said they were aware the finance committee was working on the new fees and they were expecting feedback from Zifa.

“We wanted Zifa to revisit their fees because stakeholders felt that they were outrageous and discriminatory. We wanted to make sure that no one is discriminated against and everyone has an opportunity to participate if they so wish.

“We appreciate the costs that are incurred in a process such as this one. It is not abnormal for them to recover administrative costs and we know that 60% of the fees will go towards accommodation and other costs, but the fees that they had initially charged were a bit outrageous,” Nhemachena said.

The SRC had to intervene in 2010 when Zifa set fees that were said to be prohibitive. Zifa has said that they aimed at making sure that people elected into office are football minded and would work towards the development of the organisation and the sport.