Zimbabwe: PSL Clubs Dismiss Zifa Suspensions

Zimbabwe's Premier Soccer League clubs have set themselves for a potential showdown with the ZIFA board after rubbishing letters of suspension to some of the league governors by the Felton Kamambo led board.

ZIFA board members, who are also serving their own suspension by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), recently served suspension letters to CAPS United, Dynamos, Highlanders, Manica Diamonds bosses as well as the PSL chief executive officer Kenny Ndebele.

The quintet were suspended for their roles in calling for signing a petition calling for an Emergency General Meeting, where ZIFA members wanted to raise a motion to revoke the mandate of the board.

The PSL released a statement expressing shock at the purported suspensions considering that the ZIFA board members who are suspended themselves cannot conduct the association's business.

The league's leader also noted that the sanctions against its officials are meant to bring division within the league.

"The Premier Soccer League has noted with concern that some of the members of the suspended ZIFA Executive Committee have sent correspondence purportedly suspending the leaders of Caps United FC, Dynamos FC, Highlanders FC and Manica Diamonds FC together with the PSL Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kennedy Ndebele," reads the statement.

"The Premier Soccer League condemns this shocking behaviour that is tantamount to vindictive and intimidatory tactics by the three suspended Executive Committee members.

They questioned why PSL chairman Farai Jere, who sits on the ZIFA board, was not invited to the meeting.

"It is surprising that despite being a member of the suspended EXCO, the PSL Chairman, Mr Farai Jere was not invited to this so called Board meeting which effected these suspensions.

"We would like to categorically state that an attempt to divide the Premier Soccer League family will not be tolerated."

The statement continues: "It is on record that the ZIFA Executive Committee and the ZIFA Chief Executive Officer were suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) on 16 November 2021 and 27 November 2020 respectively. The suspensions of the said PSL officials are therefore illegal and of no force and effect.

"The PSL Governors unanimously agreed to petition the revocation of the mandate to Executive Committee Members as provided in the ZIFA Statutes after observing a number of irregularities, these being poor governance, lack of transparency and failing to respect the Judicial bodies' decisions among a plethora of other issues.

"We stand by our suspended PSL board members and Chief Executive Officer."

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe

Photo: New Zimbabwe