PSL teams increase not binding

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

The 2016 Zifa assembly resolution to amend Article 21 of the Zifa constitution that allowed the Premier Soccer League to have 18 teams is still not binding four years down the line.

Crucially though, the 2018 Zifa elections that ushered in Felton Kamambo as president in a sensational victory over flamboyant businessman Phillip Chiyangwa, meant that two members of the PSL illegally participated in the election as the Zifa constitution only recognised 16 teams from the elite league.

The resolution to increase the number of teams in the PSL was endorsed on November 26, 2016, and it required a constitutional amendment to change Article 21 of the Zifa constitution.

The same assembly again voted last year to recognise the PSL as a member of Zifa, bringing the national association’s membership to 24.

“With the admission of the elite league, the constitution, as in article 10 will now have 24 members of Zifa, while article 32 will also change and read; ‘there shall be a Premier Soccer League elected chairman in the Zifa executive committee representing the Premier Soccer League. Article 10 will also change to indicate that Zifa members include the PSL as represented by its 18 clubs,” PSL chairman Farai Jere told Chronicle Sport last year.

Both of the amendments in terms of the law were then supposed to be part of the constitutional changes and registered with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as well as Fifa, but it emerged this week that none of those processes happened.

Zifa communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela said all the changes were done and relevant bodies notified.

But the SRC says it has not received any notification from Zifa.

“As the Sports Commission, we did not receive any communication to that effect. As far as we are concerned Zifa is still using the constitution that was adopted in 2013,” said the country’s supreme sports body.

World football governing body Fifa did not respond to emailed questions sent by Chronicle Sport yesterday.

The proposed constitutional amendments and notifications to both the SRC and Fifa should have been done by Zifa chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse. The Chronicle