When the FIFA, out of the ordinary, but with deliberate intend, allowed an inverted pyramid election on January 25, it was a step out of the crisis war and now, the Zifa executive committee, must normalize back to factory settings, an investigation by The Page can reveal.
Speaking to a FIFA insider Monday morning, The Page established that the election of Nqobile Magwizi and crew was meant to formalize the exit of the normalization committee, whose term was a failure, in terms of the stated mandate.
“The FIFA had envisaged the NC would be able to fix the Zifa structures, amend the constitution, restructure the secretariat, audit the books and rationalize with stakeholders.
“They couldn’t fully fulfill that to transition football from the low levels of just before the FIFA suspension, to a level where the game was able to attract stakeholders buy in.
“Maybe the people in the NC lacked the capacity and passion to measure to the demands, so we expect the new Exco, to fully focus on those basics, so that the FA finds its feet again.
“As FIFA, we’re fully aware of the pressures of post election period, but we expect the leadership to focus on football not people, ” the FIFA insider said, adding:
“We appreciate it will not be easy, but nonetheless, it must be done to wrestle football from the shackles of misgovernance, which underlined the previous Congress.
“We as FIFA are on hand to help and we expect the Exco to have by now forwarded issues that require immediate attention.
“We remain hopeful, they will communicate fully on all the challenges, the full assembly elections, notwithstanding”.
The conversation was brutal but content pregnant.
In that vein Magwizi is expected to shed off the electioneering parlance immediately and focus on providing leadership to football.
As things stand, it has become very clear that elections for the assembly are required, without which, legitimacy will be difficult to extract or fathom.
The FIFA is aware that none of the Zifa members, from the Area Zones to regions have legal mandate to represent members.
They also know the chaotic nature of the structures, which explains why it was one of the mandates given to the NC to deal with, but failed.
The Exco, according to the FIFA insider, are effectively normalization executives, until such a time a legal assembly (78) is constituted.
Crucially, the 2024 constitution, which was ratified at an AGM on October 18, is now the considered the Zifa statutes, and can not be amended until October, by which time, it is assumed, a legally constituted assembly, via an election, will be in place.
Whether it is politically expedient or risky, elections for the assembly, to be conducted by an electoral committee, is a MUST do and the FIFA insider said:
“We need to have an elected assembly for legality to subsist, otherwise there will be legal challenges”.
While the electoral process modalities are being finalized, the Exco need to give immediate attention to the PSL, women and referees, in order to ensure other stakeholders like sponsors are accommodated.
The PSL can’t go a day longer without a chairman, vice and CEO. Or the women’s league continue blindly with Theresa Maguraushe.
The obvious need to happen. Referees committee need to be put in place in terms of the FIFA rules, so that proper training of officials can begin immediately, otherwise no leagues can start, until such is solved.
Leadership require making decisions and correct decisions, too. The composition of the referees committee is key.
A break with the corrupt past is also important. Zvana Mathew Dingo tava bhoo nazvo.
We should never play politics with refereeing, otherwise the integrity of all our competition is compromised.
The nation watched enough chaos with referees last season, that a total break with that past is key.
The Page is aware of the jostling for positions and bidding wars but all that is good Netflix episodes for free, yet, we require compliance with clauses 3, 4 and 5 of the FIFA, governing the scope, appointment and duties of referees.
There is no need to side step that as results of a compromised exercise, always manifests itself on the field.
We have enough evidence of that already, and no need for a repeat of the horrors of 2024. Same with the Guptas…they must exit our game or asked to.
An old woman is uneasy whenever dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. But are we responsible for their age?
Ah tisiyei zvedu isu, tobve Uhera!
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