Hope Chizuzu
Today (0930hrs or soon thereafter) the High Court Judge, Tawanda Chitapi sits to hear and consider an urgent chamber application by Temba Mliswa, seeking to stop the January 25 election until a constitutional remedy, is made.
Whilst that is playing out, another application by the bona fide Dynamos Football Club, in terms of the 1963 constitution, is also before the High Court, challenging the process, in respect of the club fraudulently represented by Bernard Marriot, in the nomination of candidates, when they do not have the mandate to so act.
The Dynamos application and the Mliswa High Court hearing this morning, are both coming at a time, the countdown to January 25 has been laboured, with anxiety gripping the candidates and electorate, alike.
The Page, however can reveal that FIFA officials are arriving today, ahead of the ruling of the Walter Magaya appeal, set for Thursday and to meet the Zifa NC, who are clearly at sixes and sevens, over these ganja developments.
It is understood that there would be a tweaking of the course in respect of the election, which are sure to happen, but NOT on January 25, but at a date soon thereafter.
Such a situation creates a legal vacuum in respect of the NC, whose term, as determined by the FIFA, ends on January 31, a legal cholesterol, that has to be cured before it becomes cancerous.
And FIFA are arriving here for that and more as the cases before the High Court and CAS, can throw in some gall stones into the exercise, ones which creates problems as big as those the Guptas, have created over the years, like this constitution, which must be quickly binned, when the entire Zifa assembly is constituted.
But away from the organized legal command grinding, the campaigning for the election has reached a crescendo with The Page reporting that Alice Zeure, bidding to become a Zifa executive Committee member, has promised the councillors residential stands, if they vote for her.
This is the single most interesting election promise, which is coming at a time a commission investigating City of Harare, where she works as a legal officer, are unearthing some feasal dirty.
Is Zeure, a land bank? Or a land baron or both, so strong that she can openly promise Zifa councillors, land, in Harare of all places?
Ironically, Kudzai Kadzombe, a councillor with COH has stolen the attention of the Zifa councillors, with a clean performance, so staid and effective that it has pushed herself into the swing lane, for one of the six positions.
Yet, Zeure, carrying an ominous corruption baggage tag, is making a criminal offer to football.
Such lack of respect for the football ecosystem and its actors, is patently diabolical.
This last week saw Tafadzwa Benza and Brighton “PanJap” Ushendibaba, young and humble Turks effectively sealing their positions in the Exco with the councillors, the same way the experienced Thomas Marambanyika sealed his bald in the hat, too.
The race for the six slots have the basket narrowed and packed so much that the shuffling between the gold and silver baskets has been interesting.
Some guys have talked and behaved their ways from the gold basket and replaced by others from the silver, effectively giving away our next Zifa Exco.
Tizirai Luphahla, Davison Muchena, Tavengwa Hara, Kadzombe, Benza and Ushendibaba have consistently emerged on the final list of every councillor, which barring last minute changes of circumstances, may have already sealed their ways into the Exco.
By the way, The Page has gained enemies over a reportage like this, but please note that I neither vote nor am I the one going round the country promising people things and demonstrating what they can do or not.
I am simply sharing what the football market has been told by the candidates.
For example Punjab told the councillors that he is requesting to be in the Exco so that he can use his corporate network to fuse what football wants with what the corporate to can offer.
He openly said he has no claim to fame as a footballer or administrator, but has tonnes of passion to add value in the best way he is able. I was not there when he said it in Harare and Bulawayo.
Same way Zeure chose to offer people residential stands in Harare. Do I know where she has a land bank?
Even COH or government lack such capacity, but the Chiredzi born lawyer, has enough of that to promise the councillors.
And when I share that (my passion for over two decades) you hate me or besmirch The Page. Ah siyanai neni tambai dzamurikuridza mega ikoko.
Meanwhile The Page can reveal that the disqualified candidates could make a late return to the ballot, a situation that changes things for the vice president position with Gift Banda, sure to walk it.
Benjani, Temba Mliswa and Walter Magaya, whose ruling for the appeal at High Court is on Thursday, will be late to the party. The councillors have locked the doors and kept the keys.
Already Martin Kweza, the Gupta mancho, talked himself out of office, when he said he would organize election for Zifa assembly, only in 2026.
Madness. He wants the Exco to run football without assembly for a year? He actually never had a chance anyway, as football has shut the door to Guptas at every level. Chero kuNRSL kwacho futi.
Makwinji Soma Phiri is best left kwaari ikoko. Twine Phiri and James Takavada, the stakes have been too heightened for your efforts.
Makwinji has zero impact and that leaves Phelimon Machana and Magwizi as front runners.
When fishermen are not at sea, they mend the nets, but when a frog chokes in water, it croaks.
@ChizuzuHope X(formerly Twitter) WHATSAPP +263715001628