The well-orchestrated scam involving some former Zifa employees saw several international top players, including Knowledge Musona, Edward Sadomba and Nyasha Mushekwi, being cleared without remitting mandatory national association levy.
Investigations by Standardsport revealed that Zifa received a measly US$35 000 for transfer of players for 18 months instead of US$350 000 entitled to the association. Most of the transfers started during the Wellington Nyatanga administration.
The national association is entitled to 15% of the gross transfer fee (for each player transfer) as per Fifa statutes. The money goes towards football development but the perennially broke Zifa has been unable to do so.
Zifa have not received the levy for the transfer of such high profile players like the trio of Thomas Sweswe, Zhaimu Jambo and Musona in their big bucks transfer in June 2009 to Kaizer Chiefs as well as the CAPS United trio of Mushekwi, Lionel Mtizwa and Method Mwanjali, who were also issued with ITC’s to start their careers at Mamelodi Sundowns.
The association further failed to receive the 15% levy it was entitled to in the transfer of the Ajax Cape Town duo of Tafadzwa Rusike and Khama Billiart, among a host of top players that have left the country.
The transfer of Obadiah Tarumbwa, Edward Sadomba and Onismor Bhasera when they moved to Belgium and South Africa respectively was not of any benefit to the association. Zifa is also investigating several players who also went to minor leagues in Cyprus after being issued with ITC’s.
Zimbabwe has been active on exporting players to countries such as Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland, but the association has raked in insignificant revenue. Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze admitted that the country had not benefited from the international transfer of players and said they have instituted debt recovery process.
“The transfers have raked insignificant revenue for the association since only a few clubs have paid their dues with the other clubs committing themselves to do so,” said Mashingaidze.
