Munyati Condemns The Politicisation Of Zim Football
By Farai Maposa
Aces Youth Academy co-director and former ZIFA board member for marketing Nigel Munyati says the state of football in Zimbabwe will continue to be appalling unless there is a complete de-politicisation of the beautiful and most popular game in the country.
Speaking to Radio Vop, the revered football administrator said in light of the current goings on in ZIFA there should be a genuine strategy of restoring sanity and not base chucking out the administration owing to different political persuasion.
“While I might be the first person to call for the ouster of Cuthbert Dube, I do not however subscribe to the way it has been done over the years because the decisions have been political rather than being practical,” said Munyati who was a ZIFA presidential aspirant in last year’s elections which were won by Dube.
He also decried that most current soccer administrators are after selfish gains besides developing football in Zimbabwe.
“What irks most of us who have the passion for football is that soccer administration has been invaded by an ilk of administrators who are not genuinely soccer enthusiasts but after something else,” fumed Munyati.
The Aces Youth Academy boss also bemoaned the lack of support of soccer academies by the soccer-mother body.
“ZIFA has not done anything in supporting soccer academies when in actual fact we have done immensely well in churning out talent,” said Munyati.
Aces Youth Academy has produced talent in the likes of Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiart and George Chigova who are all plying their trade outside Zimbabwe.
Munyati said if there is no expediency in addressing the ZIFA debacle the country should not expect to grace the beckoning 2017 Afcon.
“There is the need to expeditiously put the ZIFA house in order if we are to fancy our chances of at least qualifying for the 2017 Afcon otherwise it will be a very mammoth task,” added the respected soccer administrator.
ZIFA is saddled with a ballooning debt that now stands at $6 million.
Early this year, Zifa’s property was auctioned off to pay for an outstanding debt to former communications officer Nicky Dhlamini-Moyo, who was sacked under unclear circumstances back in 2012.
Firstly the Labour Court had granted Dhlamini-Moyo an award of $10 000 but ZIFA did not act on the instruction.
This resulted in the former communications officer’s award rise to almost $100 000 in interests.
Another pressing Human Resource matter at the hands of the association is the money owed to former Warriors coach Norman Mapeza, who was suspended in March 2012 for his alleged involvement in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal.
Although there was not enough evidence to warrant Mapeza’s suspension, ZIFA went ahead and appointed Rahman Gumbo while the former still had a running contract with them.
The Labour Court ruled in favour of the former Zimbabwe captain and Zifa now owe him an approximately $245 000 in salary and benefits.