Miriam Sibanda arrested

By Grace Chingoma

SUSPENDED Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League chairperson Miriam Sibanda was picked up for questioning by police on Tuesday in a matter concerning the $20 000 donation which was given to the Mighty Warriors by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development ahead of their crunch African Games qualifier against Ghana in Accra in March.

Before she was suspended, Sibanda received $20 000 which she said was to be used to cater for airfares for the Mighty Warriors’ assignment away to Ghana, which the senior women’s team lost 2-1.

It however, emerged that the cash-strapped ZIFA bought the air tickets. It also came to light that Freda Rebecca Mine had assisted the Mighty Warriors through the gold mine’s parent ministry.

The then Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga told The Herald in April, during a handover donation to the Mighty Warriors at ZIFA House, in the presence of Sibanda that Freda Rebecca Mine had assisted the Mighty Warriors with airfares to Ghana through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.

ZIFA then brought it to the attention of the then Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa that it was the mother body who had actually parted with $28 000 to pay airfares for the Mighty Warriors. The allegations of misappropriation of the $20 000 donation was one of the charges for which Sibanda, was suspended together with other two board members Ben Mamoche and Edwin Magosvongwe.

Sibanda has since remained suspended as are Mamoche and Magosvongwe. However, the issue took a legal turn this week, when other board members of the Women’s Soccer League led by acting chairperson Elizabeth Langa reported the case to the police who in turn picked up the suspended administrator for questioning.

Sibanda, a former journalist, declined to discuss the matter yesterday.

“Go ahead and write what you have from the police. I have nothing to say to you,” said Sibanda. ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said they are keen to establish what would be the outcome of the investigations.

“We are aware, there were allegations of financial misappropriation and naturally for the allegations to be cleared the Women’s Assembly had to make sure that the police is involved.

“And we are very keen to establish the outcome of the investigations. No one else bought the tickets for the trip to Ghana. ZIFA bought those tickets and we brought it to the attention of the then Minister Langa that tickets for $28 000 were bought by ZIFA.

“The allegations of the misappropriation of funds were one of the star charges on her charge sheet. The Assembly wants to know how the money was used so police has been brought in as that is the normal channel when there are such criminal charges,” said Mashingaidze.

Langa, who is said to have reported the matter to the police together with board members Cecilia Gambe and Rosemary Muzvidziwa refused to comment on the matter or furnish The Herald with further details. The Mighty Warriors have qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and will be seeking corporate support for their preparations for the global sporting extravaganza.

The issue of the suspended members led by their chairperson is still to be resolved and Mashingaidze has since written to FIFA seeking legal guidance for the way forward as the Women’s league doesn’t have their own constitution at times and uses the ZIFA constitution when it suits them.

Early this month, the Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane noted that the squabbles within the women’s football structures will hinder the development of sport.

Sport and Recreation Commission-director general Charles Nhemachena said they have asked for legal opinion from the ZIFA lawyer Ralph Maganga. “It was observed that there were two leagues running and that this was not good for women’s football and there was urgent need to make sure they consolidated into one league.

And there will be continued dialogue including the Sports Commission, ZIFA and women’s football to ensure that the issue is resolved. “The issue of whether or not the suspension against Miriam Sibanda and other colleagues was still valid, it was noted that the constitution is not clear on the way forward given the fact that women’s football don’t have a constitution.

“They were talking of a draft which is as good as having nothing, which brought the question of how they were able to suspend them and they indicated that they used the main constitution, the ZIFA constitution, and they use it when it suits them. “So that is a grey area in terms of governance which has to be resolved quickly,’’ Nhemachena said. The Herald