Mapeza, Pasuwa dispute Zifa debt settlement model

By Grace Chingoma

With ZIFA almost through with settling the legacy debt after receiving funding from FIFA, it has emerged that a few creditors are not happy with the model being used for payment.

The association have covered ground in settling the legacy debt and more than $10 million has, so far, been paid to various creditors.

But, it has emerged that some former Warriors coaches, who are owed for the services they rendered a few years back, have not agreed on the model being used by ZIFA.

Norman Mapeza and Callisto Pasuwa are owed US$245 000 and US$103 000.

ZIFA want to settle this debt in local currency, but the coaches argue otherwise.

Already, this is the model which has been used to pay off former ZIFA president Cuthbert Dube, who was given about $900 000 he was owed after securing loans, on the association’s behalf, during his stint as the association leader.

CBZ Bank were owed $1 795 000, which had been housed under the Zimbabwe Asset Management Company.

They have since been paid while the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority were also paid $1.2 million.

ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo, told The Herald they were almost done in their mission to pay off the legacy debt.

However, he said they had failed to reach an agreement with one or two creditors.

“We are almost done. There is a small technicality, though, but we have submitted our reports to FIFA and will hear from them,’’ he said.

“The project was approved by FIFA and we used other funds, from our savings, we are waiting for the actual funding to finish off paying the legacy debt.

“We are left with smaller amounts. But, some of our former coaches felt that we are not being fair and want to be paid in United States dollars.

“So, we included that in our reports and we will send them to FIFA.

“Remember, for this exercise, we have auditors and lawyers who are working with us and guiding us through the whole project.’’ ZIFA won a case at the Supreme Court last November when it ruled that Daisy Lodge, who have been battling to be paid their dues in foreign currency after ZIFA ran a $161 000 bill, had no case against the association.

The lodge had rejected the decision by ZIFA to settle that debt, in full, in local currency in February last year.

ZIFA paid $195 000 to cover what the association said was the full amount, including interest, they owed Daisy Lodge.

Officials at the country’s football controlling body, and their legal representatives — Ngarava, Moyo and Chikono Legal Practitioners — argued that, at the time the payment was done, the rate of the local dollar and the United States dollar was at par and the settlement cleared the debt.

However, the owners of Daisy Lodge challenged that settlement package, insisting they should be paid in foreign currency.

This sparked a legal battle which spilled into the Supreme Court where ZIFA won the case.

‘‘The judgment from the Supreme Court is that this lodge was paid in full by ZIFA and, therefore, the attachment of the foreign currency account of ZIFA by Daisy Lodge should be set aside,’’ ZIFA lawyer, Chenaimoyo Gumiro of Ngarava,Moyo and Chikono Legal Practitioners, told The Herald. The Herald