ZIFA board member finance Philemon Machana is set to quit football in order to pursue a career in politics.
BY SPORTS REPORTER
The business-cum-football administrator, who recently launched a new political party — the Zimbabwe Transitional Alliance (ZiTA) — told Standardsport that he would be stepping down from his post at the football mother body in December.
“I will be leaving my position at Zifa at the end of December and I have already shared that with my fellow board members,” Machana said.
Machana, who contested and won on the Zifa board after having campaigned on his own without backing any candidate for the presidency, said he would not be seeking re-election when the association holds its elective congress next year.
“My decision is two pronged. The first being, I have launched a political party, which others within Zifa do not belong to, so we don’t want scenarios where football suffers at the expense of political issues,” he said.
“Secondly, the reason why I said I would be leaving in December was because I had convinced my collegues at Zifa to push forward the Zifa elective congress. As you are aware, we came into office to complete the Cuthbert Dube-led Zifa board’s term after the vote of no confidence. So, next year there are going to be elections.
“A new Zifa board will be elected for the next four years so there was an option of seeking re-election. For me, it’s also a statement that I have done my part and I think it’s time to hand over to others. I did my part and it’s time for others to come.”
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Machana, who owns Conduit Soccer Academy, said he was confident that his move to step aside and give way for new ideas would encourage others to allow for fresh ideas when they have played their part.
“Hopefully, it’s also a lesson for others that you don’t get into a position to die there or think you’re the only one.
Everyone can do it, there are a lot of people who can come up with better ides than what I did,” he said.
“However, people would not know that there can be a better board member finance before he or she has been tried and the tendency is to see those that are there as the alpha and omega.”
