mbulelo smpofu
Lovemore Dube, lovemore.dube@chronicle.co.zw
A long-serving member of Five-A-Side Soccer (Futsal) Philani Banda was on Saturday confirmed as the legitimate leader of the association in Zimbabwe.
This was at a meeting in Harare attended by representatives of the two regions, North and South.
They passed a vote of no confidence in Givemore Chidhakwa who they claim they had not seen or heard of in almost three years.
Chidhakwa appeared recently and has nominated some members for Zifa office just like Banda who has been at the helm and is considered legitimate by their constituency.
“In a landmark meeting held in Harare today, the leadership of Philani Banda and associated clubs from the Northern and Southern regions of Futsal-Zimbabwe convened to address the ongoing leadership dispute.
“The key outcomes were: ‘Vote of no confidence. The meeting unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Givemore Chidhakwa, rejecting his claims to be the head of Futsal Zimbabwe.
“Legitimacy of Leadership – The Northern and Southern Region Futsal teams re-affirmed their support for Philani Banda as the legitimate chairman of Futsal Zimbabwe,” read the statement from the organisation.
They accused Chidhakwa of failing to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the sport and that he had not contributed to its development.
They said with the decisive action, they hope it is a turning point and will pave the way for a unifying and effective leadership.
In an interview yesterday, Banda said he feels humbled by the region’s support. He said the focus should be on development not on who is in charge.
“I am humbled by the support in recognition of my unwavering support for five-a-side football to grow. I am not a leader to go about bragging about the position. I want to stay answerable to the constituency that has made me its servant and work for the betterment of the sport.
“We would like to move forward and see that the sport is introduced at schools and colleges and that youths and women turn to be a focal point of our development initiatives,” said Banda.
Zimbabwe participated at the 1989 Futsal World Cup in Egypt with Brenna Msiska and Peter Nkomo, among the players of that national team.
