SRC to suspend ZIFA Councillors
PHILLIMON MHLANGA
The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) is set to suspend 24 ZIFA Councillors accused of accepting inducements from aspiring candidates in the run up to 2018 elections, especially from the suspended ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo.
During the on-going trial of Kamambo at the Harare Magistrate Court, the accused Councillors admitted receiving money.
They, however, said the money was not a bribe to vote for Kamambo but it was for ‘lunch and transport needs’.
The SRC said any kind of inducement violates the integrity of sports.
In a letter to ZIFA acting chief executive officer, Qolisani Gwesela, the SRC acting director general, Sabastan Garikai said the country’s sports regulator was in possession of statements compiled by the Zimbabwe Republic Police in which all the Councillors admitted receiving inducements.
The Councillors have been given up to Friday this week to show cause why they should not be suspended.
“We are in possession of various statements compiled by the Zimbabwe Republic Police for use on the on-going criminal trial of ZIFA President, Felton Kamambo.
In all of these signed statements, the ZIFA Councillors, copied in this correspondence, all admit to receiving inducements in one form or the other from the above accused person, as well as other candidates running for office during the December, 2018 ZIFA elections.
In terms of Section 30 of the Sports & Recreation Commission Act, notice is hereby given to the association by the Commission that it intends to suspend from office all of the ZIFA Councillors copied in this correspondence.
The reason for the intended suspension is that each or all of them have admitted to accepting an inducement, by whatever name, from contestants to an electoral process, especially the current President of ZIFA.
Each of these Councillors is hereby requested to show cause as to why the SRC should not suspend them from office for the reasons aforesaid. They have until Friday, 24th December, 2021, 12 noon, to respond directly, in writing, to the SRC in respect of the show cause request.
Thereafter, the Commission shall proceed to pronounce its final decision on the matter.”
List of Councillors set to be suspended
Thomas Marambanyika, Pithias Shoko, Nkosilathi Ncube ,Doubt Ncube ,Stanley Chapeta ,Pervious Mathe ,Patrick Hill ,Dennis Tshuma ,Mhloro Tavaziva ,Stanslous Nyachowe ,Edward Chekure ,Olivarth Guvuriro ,Tafadzwa Mujuru ,Givemore Chidhakwa ,Brenda Gorejena ,Andrew Tapela ,Francis Ntuta ,Mehluli Thebe ,Artwell Moyo ,Beaullar Msarah ,Dennis Tshuma ,Kudakwashe Chisango ,Kudakwashe Remba and Ropafadzo Matemavi.
