Dube mum on Zifa dismissal

Sport
FORMER Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, board members Tawengwa Hara and Fungai Chihuri were yet to be served their letters of dismissal yesterday after they were axed during a Zifa extraordinary general meeting held in Harare on Saturday.
CUTHBERT-DUBE
Former Zifa president Cuthbert Dube

FORMER Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, board members Tawengwa Hara and Fungai Chihuri were yet to be served their letters of dismissal yesterday after they were axed during a Zifa extraordinary general meeting held in Harare on Saturday.

BY SPORTS REPORTER

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, who faces the axe when the new board chaired by Omega Sibanda meets tomorrow, said: “There has been no official communication that the president Dube, Hara and Chihuri have been axed from the board. Once that is done, Dube will issue a statement.”

Hara was not reachable, while Chihuri said he had not received any notification as well.

“I have not received anything as yet, so I have nothing to say,” Chihuri said.

Dube was elected into office in 2010 and retained in the 2014 elections.

Of the 58 Zifa councillors, 30 attended the Saturday meeting to constitute a quorum.

John Phiri and board member Bernard Gwarada (finance) remained in the board which is now expected to co-opt three new members when they meet tomorrow.

Secretary of the councillors committee, Eastern Region chairman Piraishe Mabhena, told reporters on Saturday that they would communicate their decision to the Confederation of African Football and world football governing body Fifa and are expected to notify the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Sports and Recreation Commission today.

Mabhena told our sister paper The Standard: “We requested for an Extra-Ordinary Meeting and we were told that Zifa had no capacity to hold two meetings as we were scheduled to have an AGM on April 25 where all these issues would be ironed out.

We were surprised to be served with a letter informing us that the AGM was moved to June 27 and this is when we decided to come up with this meeting,” Mabhena said.

“Constitutionally, after notifying them about the EGM, it was supposed to be done within 90 days. So after realising that the new date, June 27, was way after 90 days, we decided to have this meeting,” Mabhena added.

The new leaders resolved to institute a forensic audit, to engage creditors, the board to ensure sub-committees and other structures are functional and to engage the government for financial assistance.

No names have been suggested for the three vacant board posts, but Premier Soccer League chairman Twine Phiri is earmarked.

But this means Phiri will lose his leadership of the PSL as he sits on the Zifa board as a representative of the top-flight league and once he assumes a board post, he loses those privileges.