Prophet Walter Magaya’s aspirations to become the next Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president have hit a major roadblock after the introduction of new regulations requiring the top executive to have at least five O-level passes.
The ZIFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday, October 18, 2024, has introduced a new requirement that makes Magaya ineligible to run for the presidency because he allegedly does not have five O-levels.
With 48 votes in favour, 8 against, and 2 spoilt votes, ZIFA councillors have approved a constitutional amendment requiring the president and two vice-presidents to have at least five O-level passes.
This qualification is a significant hurdle for Magaya, who allegedly lacks the required educational credentials.
Moreover, Magaya and Gift Banda, a former ZIFA vice president, have been accused of attempting to manipulate the constitutional amendment to bypass the O-level requirement.
The duo allegedly held a secret meeting with ZIFA councillors from the Southern Region, urging them to amend the constitution and remove the O-level requirement.
The draft ZIFA Statutes emphasize the importance of integrity checks and educational qualifications for executive committee members.
The statutes clearly state that the president, vice-president, and other members of the executive committee must have passed a minimum of five O-level subjects or an equivalent educational level.
“The president, the vice-president and the other members of the executive committee shall be elected by the Congress in accordance with Art. 31 of these Statutes,” part of the draft ZIFA Statutes read.
“They shall undergo an integrity check, to be conducted by the Ethics Committee, prior to their election or re-election
“The president and the two vice presidents of the executive committee shall have passed a minimum of five O-Levels subjects or any equivalent educational level.”
Surprised to realise that there are people without O Levels