The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) has reiterated that it is not their priority to lobby for the lifting of Zimbabwe’s FIFA suspension.
In a statement released on Saturday, 10 September 2022, SRC said its focus is on the implementation of far-reaching fundamental reforms in local football which include the crafting of a new ZIFA constitution in December and the holding of elections in 2023. Pindula News is publishing the SRC statement below:
TRIPARTITE MEETING WITH THE SPORTS AND RECREATION COMMISSION, ZIMBABWE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION AND THE ZIFA FOOTBALL RESTRUCTURING COMMITTEE.
On the 7th September 2022, the Sports and Recreation Commission (“SRC”), the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the ZIFA Restructuring Committee (“Restructuring Committee’) met for the first time since the suspension of the ZIFA Executive Committee by the SRC in November 2021.
The purpose of the meeting was, in the first instance, to receive an update from ZIFA regarding the implementation of certain conditions to which the lifting of the suspension of the ZIFA Executive Committee on 8th June 2022, was subject to.
Secondly, the meeting provided an opportunity for BDO Chartered Accountants to provide a progress report on the forensic audit that they are presently carrying out on the financial affairs of ZIFA.
Lastly, the Restructuring Committee gave an update on the progress it has made in discharging the tasks forming a part of its terms of reference.
For its part, the SRC outlined its expectations for parties to start to put into place an agreed framework populated by specific tasks and deadlines (‘Implementation Matrix’) regarding matters agreed as requiring reform.
In this respect, it was noted and agreed in principle that: –
1. The BDO forensic audit report will be availed at the end of September 2022. Presently, certain of the current and former members of the ZIFA Executive Committee, as well as the General Secretary, have been asked by BDO to provide clarity and insight into certain transactions relating to the finances of ZIFA. These responses are the main outstanding issues before the report is finalized.
2. Likewise, the Restructuring Committee expects to complete its findings and final recommendations to the SRC within a period that will allow ZIFA members in a general meeting to consider the same for adoption. The recommendations will form the basis of the implementation Matrix; it being noted that the Restructuring Committee submitted its preliminary findings to the SRC in August 2022
3. Upon the submission of the final BDO forensic audit report as well as that of the Restructuring Committee, ZIFA shall convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of its members to consider the same. It is the expectation of the SRC that this EGM takes place in the month of October 2022.
4. Thereafter, the issues adopted during the EGM will form the basis of the Implementation Matrix (with times and deadlines for the discharge of agreed reform goals). This matrix will be made available to FIFA and CAF.
5. The same Implementation Matrix as well as the full details of the BDO forensic report and the findings and recommendations of the restructuring committee will be made available to the public in line with the SRC’s previous undertaking in this respect.
6. A key component of 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 grassroots structures to the Executive Committee level in early 2023.
7. SRC reiterated that it was not the Commission’s priority to lobby for the lifting of ZIFA’s suspension as a member of FIFA. Its focus was on the implementation of far-reaching fundamental reforms in the administration of football in Zimbabwe.