HARARE - ZIMBABWE Football Association (ZIFA) board comes under the spotlight on Friday when it holds its first board meeting in the capital since the elections on March 27.
PSMAS chief executive Cuthbert Dube the new president of the troubled association and fellow board members are expected to bring to finality the issue of chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya who was suspended by the previous board led by Wellington Nyatanga only to bounce back two days later with the association’s boss citing legal implications in the manner they had suspended her.
Rushwaya had been suspended over the controversial tour by the Warriors to Malaysia in December last year. The trip had not been sanctioned by the board neither had it been given a thumps up by the Sports and Recreation Commission(SRC) – the supreme decision making body. All foreign trips according to the SRC act should be sanctioned by the sports body.
But in this case the Warriors went to Malaysia without the blessings of the commission and Rushwaya, as chief executive has been blamed for sanctioning the trip without the consent of the Sports Commission and other members of the Zifa board.
She was suspended during a board meeting in Masvingo more than a month ago after an investigation subcommittee chaired by former board member in charge of finance Gladmore Muzambi, Cecilia Gambe, Mwandibhuya Mutepfa and Solomon Mugavazi pushed the motion — which duly passed — for Rushwaya’s suspension pending investigations into the issue.
But, Rushwaya bounced back just two days after her suspension, after the then Zifa president Wellington Nyatanga said there were gross irregularities in the manner they handled her case.
Nyatanga said they had been advised by the Zifa lawyer, Ralph Maganga, that their indaba where they passed the resolution was fraught with irregularities because there were legal implications to be considered first. Nyatanga said after receiving advice from their lawyer, had decided to set aside all resolutions that emanated from that meeting The Zifa president said he had also considered the fact that, with only two weeks before the association chose its new leadership, it was also only proper that those leaders decided on the fate of the chief executive including other key issues related to the running of the game.And, tomorrow, Dube who has been out of the country and only flew back home on Sunday is expected together with fellow board members to decide the fate of Rushwaya.
The board is also expected to look into the issue of the Warriors funding and their marriage with Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa. Chidzambwa has been linked with a coaching job in South Africa. The veteran mentor has confirmed Free State Stars- a South African club had shown interest in him. However, there are disturbing reports that Chidzambwa has been coaching the Warriors on part-time basis and is reportedly owed huge sums of money by the cash strapped association. Dube and his fellow board members are therefore expected to tackle all those issues before the Warriors start their 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News