By Perkins-Tino Bare.
Harae, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – Benjani Mwaruwari has also entered the race for the top post at Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) after he collected his forms yesterday at 53 Livingstone. Facing an age limit which might just force him to settle for Vice-Presidency post, he enters the race for the Zifa president who is supposed to be elected on 5 December with nominations closing on 5 November when the approved nominees list is also expected to be released.
Benjani arrived into the country on Monday night and was quick to collect two nomination papers at the ZIFA offices at 53 Livingstone. The post however has an age limit with the ZIFA constitution stating that any aspiring candidate for the Presidential post at ZIFA should be older than 40 years old. Benjani, however is still only 39 meaning that as per the ZIFA technicalities he cannot contest for the
top post at ZIFA.
Benjani has not lost hope either as he has decided to settle for the Vice-Presidency post, this then would mean that he will be within the structure till 2018 whereby he will be eligible to run for the ZIFA presidency. For the Vice-President post he is expected to battle it out with ex-FC Platinum president Nathan Shoko, former ZIFA vice-president and Bulawayo businessman Omega Sibanda and Jabulani Nkomo, son of the late former Vice-President of Zimbabwe, John Nkomo.
It all still looks tight for the former Warriors striker especially with reputed names like Omega Sibanda on that list. If ZIFA however, are really keen on this turn around strategy and are not just playing around with people`s emotions then there`s no reason to be retaining the same people who were part of the Cuthbert Dube-led setup. Omega Sibanda is one of them and not to downplay the man ZIFA right now finds itself in the position that it`s in because of the system that they ran and surely there is no reason to get a change of names without any intent on policy change or implementation thereof.
The race for the top post is just as hectic with some awkward names coming up on that list. The candidates who have handed in their names for consideration include the reincarnated form of Cuthbert Dube in Philip Chiyangwa, Themba Mliswa with Trevor Juul and Leslie Gwindi getting a second bite at the cherry after having lost to the ousted Cuthbert Dube in the previous elections.
Out of these names one name strikes out which is that of businessman Phillip Chiyangwa. The man is ego-driven and handing his name is well understandable considering the amount of media coverage he was expected to get and is already getting. Philip Chiyangwa has been the media man but then in line with what we have we do not want another form of Cuthbert Dube here. The man has already gone on a vote buying spree donating 10 000 to the Warriors for the payment of players with other donations being made to the Mighty Warriors. Chiyangwa himself however said that, “If I get into this post and don’t perform, the councillors will kick me out like what they did to Cuthbert (Dube)” he said in an interview with a local daily.
This then lies the whole problem in that to him he sees a post which needs to be filled up but it is more than what meets the eye. First of all we all know the man he did not just come out of a cave and for the time he`s been around he has never been involved in football. The media itself has to be reproached for hoping to feast on the fallen pieces in this whole charade.
As per the the ZIFA constitution a candidate should have had 5 years or more of involvement in football administration. This alone should disqualify the man as like Benjani himself he is simply ineligible to be running for president. Moreover like I said we all know Big Phil and any normal person would know he has absolutely no idea of what football administration is. Chiyangwa mentioned Old Citrus Farm and his own school Divaris Makaharis but these first of all have to be under Zifa, of which schools are not and also the second question is where are they right now. It would be a good thing if the teams mentioned are traceable sources which then means they can therefore be used as reference to measure up the ability of the man himself.
The opening up of this post came as hope for many football fans but then soon it became a joke when Big Phil entered and what then preceded the vote buying charades all in the name of donations gave people nightmares that Cuthbert Dube had just reincarnated once again in a different form. This post really means a lot to Zimbabwe Football and the electors really need to think with their minds and not their tummies on who they are going to elect come the 5th of December. ZIFA goes way beyond the Warriors which is just the flagship brand of ZIFA. Everything regards football concerns ZIFA and yes they may not have keen on grassroots development but they are the guys who are supposed to be in charge of schoolboy footie, that`s just how far ZIFA stretches.
The regional chairperson are expected to be the ones making the decision. The regions have 16 votes from the 58 delegates that will converge next month to elect the ZIFA president, the deputy and three other board members. There are two seats reserved for Women Football and the Premier Soccer League in the ZIFA executive committee which are all expected to be voted for.
All we want is a man who is capable of ensuring that Zimbabwean football crawls out of the mess it finds itself in. Right now the biggest fear is that it doesn`t really matter who is going to come in as they are most likely not going to effectively change ZIFA. But all this must be changed since it is the very reason we are in this mess.
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