SPORTS and Recreation minister Makhosini Hlongwane has finally broken his silence on the June 4 dissolution of Zifa and the subsequent formation of its successor, the National Football Association of Zimbabwe (Nafaz) by the Phillip Chiyangwa-led board, saying the move was illegal.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Hlongwane told journalists at a Press conference in Bulawayo yesterday that the dissolution of the football motherbody was not done in accordance with the laws of the country and as such, Zifa was still operational and the newly-established Nafaz non-existent.
“Zifa still exists. It’s a simple analysis to understand that Zifa still exists. The first thing is that Zifa has not been deregistered by the SRC [Sports and Recreation Commission] and the second thing is that Zifa has voluntarily submitted itself to the High Court to seek sequestration and liquidation and that process has not yet been finalised,” he said.
The government official said the dissolution of Zifa needed to be done lawfully and in accordance with its constitution before any recognition by the SRC and world football governing body Fifa.
“It is clear that Zifa desires to dissolve itself and if it desires to do so, like any other association, it should be done according to the law and as well as according to their own constitution and we are in agreement with Zifa that that has to be regularised,” Hlongwane said.
He said government was in full support of the local football motherbody’s move, which also had the backing of Fifa, but things had to be done according to the law.
“We have consistently engaged Zifa during this entire period, holding several meetings together with a view to iron out issues. We have also kept Fifa abreast. Last week on June 20, we had a meeting with the Zifa president [Chiyangwa] and his executive to, again, further press home that there was need for Zifa to be dissolved properly according to its own statutes as advised by two Fifa letters that have insisted as well that Zifa should be dissolved according to its own statutes,” Hlongwane said.
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He said the proper dissolution of Zifa was now going to take place next month and Chiyangwa and his board were in agreement on that position.
“I am glad to report that we are in agreement with Zifa that there is need to regularise the position of dissolution and I am happy also to make the announcement that Zifa have started to take, in fact ,concrete steps to regularise that position,” he said. “I know that in the month of July, there are going to be meetings to discuss the whole matter of dissolution. So that matter was discussed and concrete steps have been taken by Zifa to regularise matters around dissolution.”
