Presidential candidate locked out of Zifa House

By Eddie Chikamhi and Percival Sizara

ZIFA presidential aspirant Trevor David Carelse-Juul was locked out of Zifa House in Harare yesterday, after requesting to see the Electoral Roll, as the horror process to choose the next leader of domestic football sunk to new depths of gamesmanship only fit for the underworld.

All Zifa provincial and regional offices around the country were closed yesterday and all the workers and officials summoned to the capital with sources saying this was a move by the Zifa secretariat to take absolute control of the election process amid fears that these people could release crucial information to the presidential aspirants.

The Zifa secretariat, led by chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, stands accused of turning themselves into a branch of the election machine of incumbent president Cuthbert Dube, and the events in Harare and elsewhere yesterday appeared to confirm that in what is clearly turning into a sham poll.

Dube, in contrast, has not only been holding meetings with the delegates, who will vote tomorrow.

That a candidate who is battling for the presidency can not only be denied access to look at the names of the delegates who are coming to vote but is locked out of 53 Livingstone Avenue, just two days before the elections, shows the magnitude of how much this election has plunged into a farce.

Last night Carelse-Jull wrote to the Sports Commission complaining, not only of the rough treatment he received at Zifa House, but that the voters’ roll was being kept away from people who wanted to verify whether the right people were coming for the elections.

“I am at the Zifa House and there is no electoral roll. I asked specifically, do you have an Electoral Roll here? And they said ‘no they have to phone somewhere and someone will contact me,’” said Carelse-Juul.

“So 48 hours before the election there is no Electoral Roll available and that demonstrates the level of the administration in this office.

“Why is it being kept away from the candidates 48 hours before (elections)?

“I am extremely disappointed. In fact, I was met with hostility which is extremely disappointing. Our campaign team has been here attempting to get it and they have been unable to do so and now I have seen the hostility here.”

However, Carelse-Juul remained adamant.

“When one door is closed, God opens another one and I’m sure that the Lord is seeing all this and will answer our prayers,” said Carelse-Juul.

Zifa spokesman Xolisani Gwesela referred all questions on the voters’ roll to the association’s lawyer Ralph Maganga.

Maganga said it was an issue for the Zifa Electoral Committee.

“That is done by the Electoral Committee.

“They handle anything to do with elections.

“They meet tomorrow (today). Unfortunately I don’t have their contacts.”

Zifa also seem to be running into problems with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture after Dube failed to show up at a committee hearing yesterday.

The committee’s chairman, Temba Mliswa, yesterday expressed his dismay after Dube failed to attend the session to discuss the polls set for this weekend.

Dube wrote a letter to the committee yesterday seeking postponement of the hearing to a later date, indicating that he has a busy schedule ahead of the association’s presidential elections.

However, the Sports and Recreation Commission responded to the committee’s call and were represented by director-general Charles Nhemachena and director of development Joseph Muchechetere.

Mliswa said they wanted to know more about the association’s financial position and tomorrow’s presidential poll, which has been challenged in courts and has been tainted with allegations of vote-buying and the prohibitive fees for aspiring candidates.

“They wrote a letter asking for postponement, but if they think this will buy them a day or two in office, it actually will make their run of office difficult, especially when they have outstanding issues they have to answer to,” Mliswa said.

“We also learnt from SRC’s presentation that they are not in control of the association, which is very interesting. It’s quite disturbing that we can have an institution operating in this country and benefiting from Government protection and financial support yet it is not answerable to the same Government.

“We will recommend to the ministry as we always do so that the correct measures are taken,” said Mliswa.

Nhemachena disclosed that Zifa last submitted audited accounts to the Sports Commission in 2011 and had promised to hand over the 2012 books before the election.

The SRC would seek to engage Fifa to try and find mutual position to resolve issues with Zifa in the event that there are situations that require drastic action.

“The SRC board considered the fees exorbitant, unfair and discriminatory and resolved that Zifa should be advised to review their fees so as not to exceed the fees charged in 2010. The highest fees that were charged in 2010 were US$500,” said Nhemachena.

“SRC’s general position on the matter (of fees) is as follows; firstly we do not believe that individuals should be levied to participate in elections, but rather, the elections should be budgeted for from the revenues of the association.

“In this particular case, Zifa’s justification was that since the association did not have money and they had to conduct the elections as required by their constitution they had no alternative but to levy the contestants.

“In considering taking action against Zifa there was need therefore to be mindful of the precedence where some national associations were suspended by Fifa for what they term government interference with the consequence that those countries could not participate in activities organised under the auspices of Fifa, nor the benefits from Fifa-funded programmes.

“So, generally, all actions we take should take into consideration the consequences for action and the consequences for inaction.”

Yesterday, in an unprecedented move, Zifa closed all provincial and regional offices and transported employees and officials to the capital.

Gwesela confirmed that the offices would be closed and that they had transported councillors and employees to the capital.

He said they budgeted for the expense, despite reeling under heavy debts.

Two weeks ago the national association had challenges with accommodating and feeding the women’s national soccer teams and ended up feeding the girls on boiled matemba and muboora.

“It is our culture that in every annual general meeting all workers attend as this ceremony is an integral part of the organisation,” said Gwesela.

“It is also the obligation of the association to fund accommodation costs for all councillors.

“It is our culture going forward comrade. Football Association of Zambia have an annual general meeting on Saturday. They are closing offices to attend the AGM.

“What’s unique about Zifa? Sure madoda, I think that’s hatred bro (brother),” said Gwesela.

However, a councillor who refused to be named for fear of victimisation told the Chronicle that the grand plan was to starve the other candidates of information that could be gleaned from employees.

“The employees are dead scared. They have all been transported to Harare where they will stay from Thursday night up to Sunday. We are bleeding the association to its knees at a time when it is very broke just because some people are too desperate to cling on to power,” said the source.

Some provincial chairpersons have been in Harare since Tuesday in what is generally considered to be the season of rich pickings with some of them having bought cars after the elections in 2010.

Dube is facing the challenge of Carelse-Juul, Leslie Gwindi and Nigel Munyati. The Herald