SO Cuthbert Dube is back at the helm of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA)?
So there were scenes of wild celebration at his bouncing back?
So ZIFA is set on course for a new direction?
So now this leader that the soccer loving nation has entrusted once again to run its football affairs has proved that he is the man ‘with all the wisdom’?
So after-all, Cuthbert Dube is the heart and soul of our football and without his benevolence we are doomed?
These are some of the questions that ran through my mind as I reflected on the victory Dube scored over Leslie Gwindi, Nigel Munyati and Trevor Carelse-Juul, but mainly over Juul in the run-off election.
Cuthbert Dube, the man who had most of us baying for his blood has been given a chance to redeem his hurt credibility which suffered so much when the ‘Salarygate’ expose came out in the public.
This is the Dube who commanded a huge income at the expense of hundreds of thousands of medical aid contributors and doctors who went for months without receiving their dues.
This is the same Cuthbert who was revelling in such glory in a cash strapped nation as he went about dolling out those rare dollars like confetti at a wedding.
Not to analyse how ZIFA has failed to contribute anything meaningfully to our soccer, the question that most of us should be answering, have we not failed a millennial moral test by giving Dube the reins of control again at Number 53, Livingstone Avenue?
The moral question borders on the fact that even with a million proofs that Cuthbert Dube is not guilty of any crime as far as failing the corporate management test is concerned, the man failed in the court of public opinion.
In that court he was tried and found guilty.
The reactions especially from the Information Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo that there is nothing to celebrate in a scandalous election is the most prudent. Zimbabwe at large has derived no benefit from the Cuthbert Dube leadership and we would ask exactly what the man still wants in football.
What exactly is in the game for Dube that he would want to stick it out so much even as he rides on a damaged reputation and an ego that has been hurt to almost non-existence?
That whole ZIFA electorate must have gone home asking themselves a lot of questions if they still have conscience that is.
For them to agree that Dube is the man to be entrusted with handling football affairs of this nation must have taken more than just believing in his manifesto. There was certainly no track record to justify the backing they gave him.
It had to take more than sweet words and we might not be so wrong even when we buy into the allegations of cash exchanging hands which have been flying up and about.
How do you participate in such an electoral process and manage to sleep overnight in the comfort of your home without any guilt feelings?
It has to take men and women who have lost all moral standing to take sides with a man whose conduct threatens the lifeline of the people.
A lifeline indeed, because football is a passion of all people and tampering with that constituency could have serious implications.
The endorsement of that result remains highly suspicious.
What exactly was being endorsed in the Dube re-election?
Another continuation of the failure to manage Zimbabwe and continue breaking the expectant people’s hearts.
Professor Moyo’s reaction therefore came at a very important time for everybody to do introspection.
The decision to have Dube run in the first place was highly irrational.
That should reflect badly on us as a nation that we allowed Dube to join the race in the first place.
Our moral stance should be very clear that where we have said we dislike corruption we don’t need it in all of our institutions.
Is Dube a larger than life character that this nation can’t subject him to a moral trial?
Some have pointed out that there might be nothing criminal about his leadership failures at PSMAS and at the ZBC where he was subjected to a lot of scrutiny.
But there should be something criminal about his ego which makes him believe even such a tainted image he can be our front man in soccer circles.
Who would candidly stand up and say his helm at ZIFA in his previous term was a value addition era?
Nobody can say that confidently and whoever would dare even suggest the thought might perish at the anger of Zimbabweans who love their soccer and want to see it grow as according to their aspirations.
The analysis of the Dube who scored a victory at a crucial moment when everybody was expecting to see his back rather than welcome him back will haunt the people.
When reality dawns what new tricks will he take out of his bag to change the course of the football fortunes of this nation?
One hopes that by throwing all to ensure he comes back to the ZIFA throne Dube wants to work on mistakes made and correct them.
In that endeavour also, the bigger issue therefore should be that Zimbabwe will not pay for giving all of its trust to the disgraced former PSMAS chief executive officer.
Paying for Dube’s ego is a moral failure on our part.
Football has its own unique way of cascading deeply into our politics also.
We must therefore be very careful on how we handle it.
Rather than sending those congratulatory messages to Dube, we must be asking ourselves about the price we are going to pay for such actions.
We do not want an angry football loving constituency going to the polling booths in 2018 with an accusing mentality that Government could have done something to prevent Dube’s re-election.
We might live to regret if we don’t arrest that development now.
Let the moral courts run their session and see if Dube will walk away a free man.