Zifa in lavish spending

Sport
On January 7 2017, the Warriors of Zimbabwe staged a sit-in, demanding that they be paid what they were owed by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) before their departure for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.

On January 7 2017, the Warriors of Zimbabwe staged a sit-in, demanding that they be paid what they were owed by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) before their departure for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.

MICHAEL KARIATI

The Warriors delayed their departure by a day after refusing to board their flight demanding that they receive their payment before they left for Gabon and even threatened to boycott the tournament if that demand was not met.

Prior to that, the Zimbabwe women’s team, the Mighty Warriors, were each given $5 for transport upon arrival from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an amount that was not enough to travel back home to Bulawayo for some of the players.

This incident brought shame to the nation as it received widespread international attention.

Yet, Zifa’s financial statement for the year 2016 reveals that the football controlling body raked in a cool $329 523 from gate-takings when the Warriors were in action.

The question is: What was this money used for when the players were not being paid?

Since this money was realised when the Warriors were in action, weren’t the players supposed to be the first to be paid before other expenses?

These gate-takings were on top of significant contributions which were purportedly made by controversial Harare businessman, Wicknell Chivayo, which for reasons best known to Zifa, are not contained in the association’s financial statement, although other grants like those from the government, Fifa and Caf have been acknowledged.

Zifa’s total income for the year 2016 amounted to $1 318 094 and included a Caf grant of $411 918 and $136 918 from Fifa, on top of a bank overdraft of $1 585 753 which they obtained, yet the association could only fork out $5 each to a Mighty Warrior returning from the Olympic Games.

Up to now, some players are still owed allowances.

What is disturbing is that the association, according to the statement, paid out $72 000 rental advance to Kilima Investments, a company owned by Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa.

Initially the rentals were $2 500 a month, but were increased to $6 000 a month when the advance payment for the year 2017 was made.

Whoever signed the lease agreement on behalf of Zifa has agreed to the rentals at Chiyangwa’s property to be increased to $7 500 a month in 2019 and 2020 and to $9 000 a month in 2021 and Zifa cannot go back on this arrangement.

Ironically, the increase in rentals in 2017 came at time rentals were generally going down throughout the country while Zifa’s official headquarters and 53 Livingstone Avenue in Harare having been lying idle.

More importantly, the financial statement also draws attention to the fact that Zifa spent $427 434 on overseas travel, although it does not say who was travelling.

All this points to heavy spending on an association that is already reeling on a $7 million debt.

Ironically, this is the same Zifa leadership that accused the former Zifa president Cuthbert Dube led board of lavish spending, yet they have joined the same bandwagon.

Whatever the case, should Chiyangwa and his board stay on after the elections, what is important is for them to limit the extent of their spending in order not to increase on the over $7 million debt Zifa already has.

Zifa has a queue of people among them former CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze, Lazarus Riva, Travel Bureau, Manica Africa, former Mighty Warriors coach Shadreck Mhlauzi, former employees, and many others, all lining up to be paid what they are owed.

With that in mind, spending $6 000 on rentals when they have their own accommodation does not make sense and more so, spending almost half a million dollars on overseas travel.

It would have made sense if that money had gone to the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors as a thank you for the success they have achieved during the period Chiyangwa has been in office.

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