mbulelo smpofu
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA’s watershed elections may be just over a month away from being staged but the build-up to the polls to elect a new substantive president for the football association has become a nasty and ugly battlefield characterised by smear campaigns on some presidential aspirants.
In what appears a war of attrition, the trio of Northern Region Soccer League chairman Martin Kweza, Yadah Stars club president Prophet Walter Magaya and ex-Zifa board member finance Philemon Machana have had their legitimacy to contest being challenged by three members of the public.
The challenges are contained in letters that were on Monday written to Zifa and copied to the Sports and Recreation Commission board.
The trio Terrance Pachirere, one MJ Chigwedere and a K Mugadzaweta wrote separately to Zifa’s Normalisation Committee headed by Lincoln Mutasa protesting against the bids by Kweza, Magaya and Machana.
They want the three administrators barred from contesting because of allegations of a criminal nature which they cited in their letters.
After accepting the nominations, the Normalisation Committee, sitting as the Zifa electoral committee, are forwarding the names of the aspirants to the Ethics and Integrity Committee.
The Ethics and Integrity Committee, chaired by former Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda, an attorney and international arbitrator with extensive experience in business, corporate law and governance, is expected to announce on December 23, those who would have passed to be candidates for the Zifa elections.
Martin Kweza
But before Masunda’s committee has finalised their list Pachirere, Chigwedere and Mugadzaweta have lodged their objections against Kweza, Magaya and Machana.
The issues were raised on Monday by stakeholders who wrote to Zifa and the Sport and Recreation Commission detailing the concluded and pending criminal and civil cases against the trio. There are case numbers and court records to buttress the matter.
Pachirere, sensationally claimed that Kweza, an employee of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) was facing criminal, ethical and legal charges at his workplace.
“A report of work-related criminal abuse of office was lodged against Martin Kweza at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) under reference HRC82/01/24 (January 2024),’’ wrote Pachirere.
“Another fraud complaint was filed against him at Zacc under reference RRB31/07/24 (July 2024) by Engineer T Maurukira, the Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), where Martin Kweza is employed.
“These on-going investigations raise serious questions about Martin Kweza’s ethical standing and suitability for a leadership position. I trust the Committee will act in the best interest of the sport and ensure that only candidates of the highest ethical standing are permitted to contest’’.
Pachichere’s bid, however immediately hit a snag yesterday with Zinwa CEO Engineer Taurai Maurukira dismissing the claims as malicious and fraudulent.
“To say that I have lodged a complaint against Mr Kweza to Zacc is not only factually incorrect but also malicious and as Zinwa we have our systems of dealing with risk management which are actually complementary to Zacc and if there is a case at Zacc I am not aware of it as I have never authored any complaint against Mr. Kweza,’’ said Maurukira.
The Zinwa boss then wrote to Masunda’s committee disowning Pachirere’s claims which had been widely circulated on social media platforms.
“. . . Reference is made to the above subject matter and a letter dated 16 December 2024 which has been widely circulated via social media and that inter alia alleges that I, as the Zinwa CEO, lodged a fraud complaint against Mr Kweza in July 2024 under reference RRB31/07/24.
“I wish to categorically state that I did not lodge a fraud complaint with Zacc against Mr Kweza as alleged or at all. This is factually incorrect and downright malicious.
“I trust that you will find this in order,’’ wrote Maurukira.
In the claims against Magaya, which the football-mad Prophet’s camp has dismissed as a calculated ploy to soil his image while trying to influence the Ethics Committee, Chigwedere cited a number of civil and criminal cases which he alleged cast a shadow on his suitability to lead Zifa.
He said Magaya either had some previous convictions or pending cases against him, which warrant disqualification from the race.
Under case number CRB1848/19, PP’s Ref 1695/19, Magaya is facing charges under Section 81 of the Income Tax Act for alleged tax violations. This matter is pending trial at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court and is scheduled for 21 January 2024 (sic),’’ wrote Chigwedere.
Chigwedere added that Magaya was in 2018 convicted for violating the Medicines Control Act recorded under case number (CRB13219/18).
Mugadzaweta argued that Machana should be the thrown out of the race on accusations of misuse of Zifa funds as captured in a forensic audit conducted by BDO on the financial operations of Zifa.
“The audit revealed that Zifa transferred $740,270 out of a $749,996 Fifa grant into an account owned and controlled by Conduit Investments, a company where Mr Machana is both a shareholder and director.
“This transaction was in contravention of Fifa and Zifa statutes. Conduit Investments also received $25 600 under the guise of a loan repayment.
“However, no loan agreements or supporting documents were provided to justify these payments or explain how the funds were utilised,” he said.
Machana’s camp dismissed Mugadzaweta’s assertions as “frivolously and unnecessary mudslinging that is unsporting and against the spirit of Fair Play.
The former Zifa finance guru was, together with some of his colleagues from the previous board recently acquitted by the Harare Magistrates Court of various charges some of which are related to those raised in the letter in question.
Mugadzaweta claimed that Machana had during his time in Zifa, failed to disclose his financial interests in Conduit Investments, violating principles of transparency and good governance.
Amid the mudslinging which so far seems to have aimed at the perceived front-running trio of Kweza, Machana and Magaya, Normalisation Committee’s legal brains Nyasha Sanyamandwe gave some clarification on how they are going about the elections business.
She said they would follow the Zifa disciplinary and ethics code to come out with a determination about the elimination of candidates.
“As Zifa, we have got the disciplinary and ethics code that we have and we have since put it in the nomination forms where candidates should declare that they have not been convicted of any offense. The answer that we wanted from that nomination form is a yes or a no. If it’s a yes, then a bit of notes to at least qualify what certain offences you were convicted of,” said Sanyamandwe.
“The ethics code will guide us but we also need to be guided by Art: 24 Para 8 of the Zifa statutes which talks about the bodies of Zifa and how they need not to be convicted of offences compatible with the positions that they are running for.
“So, we will look into those offences and also in our criminal jurisprudence, we know there are minor and major offences, a road traffic accident surely will not stop someone from running for the election.
“The Ethics committee will also assist us in completing that eligibility test for criminal or interpreting the ethics code,” said Sanyamandwe.
