AT the end of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) extraordinary general meeting last week that finally brought the curtain down on the ever beset Zimbabwean football leader, Cuthbert Dube’s disastrous reign, two disturbing, but sobering issues emerged.
These need to be fervently tackled as the much awaited new dawn beckons for Zimbabwe’s soccer fraternity.
First to unravel the reality that stares ZIFA and whatever new leadership that will be installed, was the bold declaration by the ever defiant Dube that ‘ I want my money’.
During his enervating reign, Dube poured about a US$1 million into ZIFA, a clear signal of how poor his leadership was in terms of steering the country’s biggest sport to great heights.
ZIFA should be generating its own money like other football associations across the world, but currently, ZIFA is saddled with a huge debt running into several millions.
Asked if he wants the money he bailed ZIFA out with, Dube replied;
“Oh yes! I want my money. In fact I will be the first person to knock on ZIFA doors first thing tomorrow.”
Not that Dube will not get his money back, but there are so many pressing issues that need urgent attention.
The new leadership will have to deal with this Dube mess.
Second was FIFA’s member associations department, Primo Corvaro’s address to the media that Dube’s ouster is not the end of the myriad of challenges confronting football in Zimbabwe.
Corvaro indicated that Zimbabwe is blacklisted by FIFA and that a complete overhaul of our system of governance at ZIFA was crucial.
FIFA has withdrawn financial aid to ZIFA over its failure to adhere to governing standards.
On its part, ZIFA has failed to submit audited financial accounts.
The ZIFA board failed among other things to present to Congress the budget for 2015 financial year, meaning the Association is operating in the dark.
The ZIFA Finance Committee and Audit Committee, watchdogs of the Assembly have failed to meet as required by the constitution.
The Congress is in the dark on how FIFA funds availed to ZIFA have been used.
The money which Dube says is owed had not been sanctioned by the Congress and there is no documentary evidence of the borrowings to date.
On the issue of the 2018 FIFA World Cup ban, which newly appointed Sports Minister, Makhosini Hlongwane has said he will seek to reverse, the board failed to pay Brazilian gaffer Valinhos for the past six years despite several warnings from FIFA and threats of a ban which was eventually effected.
The ZIFA board lied to Congress when they made the whole nation believe that the association was engaged in a task with the coach’s lawyers and FIFA that the debt would be paid to allow Zimbabwe to take part in the World Cup.
Instead, the board decided against logic to use the money paid by the Premier Soccer League to pay the Valinhos debt on paying Pandhari debt because Dube wanted to recover his attached property.
That needs to be seriously looked at as indications are that there was gross mismanagement and unmitigated abuse of funds at ZIFA.
“Ok, today of course you are focused on what has happened and of course it’s important, but the problems will stay,” said Corvaro.
“It’s not because you have removed the president and the problems disappear.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying I wanted Dube to stay, it’s a decision of the General Assembly (from which a massive 51 councillors out of 54 voted in a favour of a motion to boot out the disgraced Dube); they got rid of him, but the problems are still there and I will say it’s even worse today.”
The FIFA member’s diagnosis of the challenges that lie ahead for the new president is important, especially in light of the kind of leader we need in the aftermath of Dube’s night of horror.
We need proven leaders with the love of soccer at heart.
We need that leader who will bring order and stability at number 53 Livingstone Avenue, Harare.
That leader who will attract sponsorship and bring sanity to the beleaguered ZIFA.
“The next leadership that will come will have a lot to do,” Corvaro said.
“As it is today, ZIFA is not entitled to receive FIFA money anymore until they comply with the regulations and to comply with these, one of them is to present an audit of the accounts, not only on FIFA money, but on all the money including yearly accounts.
“There will be no other support from FIFA, so the next president who is coming — the first priority for them will be to settle the debts.
“Not all debts, because it will be impossible, but at least the debt with audit company in order to make sure that they can provide these documents to FIFA in order to receive some money.”
While we celebrate the end of the Dube era, we pin our hopes on those great administrators outside football to come and rescue us.
Let those with ears listen.