Rushwaya rebuts allegations

al soccer teams.
She spoke this week in the wake of widespread allegations within the football fraternity that she is among a group of Zanu (PF) officials that reaped benefits from fund-raising activities for the teams. Sources alleged Rushwaya used the influence she had through her closeness to Vice President Joseph Msika, for personal gain.
“She made sure to be in total control of the activities and had unfettered access to the funds raised by the committee,” a source said. “There was no accountability whatsoever. For example, Rushwaya would request funds in foreign currency from the Central Bank for the purpose of covering allowances and winning bonuses for the Warriors, and at one time she received US60,000. But the team lost the match, meaning she didn’t give the players and technical staff the promised winning bonuses – and, through that, retained more than US$30,000. As in other instances, only she knows where it went to.”
However, Rushwaya opened up to this paper, and said: “People raise all sorts of allegations and suspicions and that has always been the case where funds are involved. But I want to speak out and set the record straight whilst also challenging anyone who cares, to disprove me.
“I have brought into the running of football a culture of accountability and that has actually earned me some opposition in the circles where a lot of freedom used to exist that allowed people to loot and fail to account.
“The Warriors Fund Raising Committee account had three signatories, Vice President Msika, committee chairman Tendai Savanhu, and myself. All transactions had to be done with the approval and signing of Msika, and there is not even a cent that went into my or any other person’s pocket. We produced audited accounts and anyone interested can assess them.
“The same applies for all the funds in foreign currency that we received from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Central Bank governor will testify that I am one of the very few people who returned funds after a trip. At one stage I surrendered back to him US$27,000 and that is on the record.”
She added: “I have always worked hard to earn my living, having been a music promoter, bought and sold second-hand clothing when I was a teacher, as well as imported and supplied rice to most retailers in Masvingo. I also bought a lot of cattle from my profits and that has made me financially stable.”
Regarding her controversial stay in a hotel for almost 18 months, Rushwaya said that was an arrangement between a university in Oslo, Norway, and the local hotel; the Norwegians were footing the bill because she was on a working attachment as part of her programme.