In a shocking revelation, Zimbabwe’s Sports and Recreation Commission [SRC] has bluntly told the football fraternity that it’s not on their priority list to have the Zimbabwe Football Association’s [ZIFA] suspension lifted by FIFA.
Zimbabwe has been frozen out of international football activities since February 2021, when FIFA announced the country’s suspension over government interference in the football association.
Until today the government arm, SRC, led by Gerald Mlotshwa, says they are acting against mismanagement of funds, corruption, sexual abuse and incompetence.
And they remain adamant, with no respect to the directives from the world football governing authority, FIFA.
“SRC reiterates that it was not the commission’s priority to lobby for the lifting of ZIFA suspension as a member of FIFA.
“Its focus is on the implementation of far-reaching reforms in the administration of football in Zimbabwe,” SRC said in a statement.
In fact, the SRC is pushing ZIFA to adopt a new constitution and hold elections despite FIFA’s directive that they should reinstate the Felton Kamambo-led executive.
At the moment, the SRC is working hand in glove with an illegitimate executive board led by Gift Banda which FIFA disowned, insisting that Kamambo is the only key to Zimbabwe’s reinstatement.
Sadly the latest announcements by SRC mean football lovers in Zimbabwe will have to wait even longer to watch their national teams back in the football family.
“A key component to the Implementation Matrix is the adoption of a new constitution by the members of ZIFA in December 2022, after which and subject to the provisions of the new constitution, the holding of new elections from grassroot structures of executive committee level in early 2023,” reads the part of the statement.
Meanwhile, Kenya who were also suspended on similar grounds, reinstated Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa, with high hopes of being readmitted by FIFA.
