SRC schedules press conference on Zifa brief for T...

SRC schedules press conference on Zifa brief for Thursday

Open letter to SRC Chairman Gerald Mlotshwa - Soccer24 — Gerald Mlotshwa

Hope Chizuzu

The national sports regulator, SRC, will on Thursday hold a press conference ostensibly to brief on Zifa following several developments and putting paid to behind the scenes machinations to torpedo the reforms.

Gerald Mlotshwa, the SRC chairman who has been on a month-long holiday returned to heaps of paperwork in his tray and a file marked "Zifa/Fifa" which requires action.

What is interesting is that the SRC chair is calm and uncensored in his move telling The Page that the press conference will update the public and that recommendations of the restructuring committee will be presented to Zifa for implementation.

While Mlotshwa is taid about the football situation where the recalled trio of Failton Kamambo, Phelimon Machana and Bryton Malandule are on a crusade to force their return and planting fear in the councillors, he is focused on essentials.

The move in which the usual king-making suspects are leading the crusade, persuading the councillors to move a motion to reverse the decision to recall the trio, is dominating the WhatsApp groups.

The issue is gathering momentum and currency and the matter is expected to be tabled when Zifa Congress meets at the end of this month.

But that meeting too is not sure to move forward as scheduled as the convocation, which should be made 15 days before the meeting passed without the notice.

Interim President, Gift Banda admitted that they will have to move it a bit to fulfill the constitutional requirement for holding an AGM.

The convocation, which the CEO should have sent by January 13, was not complied with.

The Page was unable to gather the reason why acting CEO, Xolisani Gwesela, failed to do the expected.

But investigations show that Zifa is penniless and struggling to find the money to fund the crucial meeting.

The SRC supremo will advise Zifa on what is required before they can think of anything.

Reforms are key and the SRC is happy with the Zifa move to implement the national league.

The national league which will be started by inviting 20 capable teams is the panacea for development.

Regions are not happy with the development as they feel the league will take away the power of moving political wheels as has been the case over the years.

That explains why we are seeing the likes of central and northern regions rushing to announce "sponsorships" (of USD25k) and fixtures well before the AGM which ordinarily determines the season for entire football ecosystem.

They're desperate to show muscle but forget that they all play football under Zifa. One wonders who they're trying to fool or please and why.

We have only one registered football association and that is Zifa which is yet to hold a landmark AGM.

Meanwhile the move to reverse the recall of the trio has divided Congress with reports that the vindictive Machana will go on a suspension spree, once freed back.

Others are saying the desperation to return from Fifa suspension is a miscarriage of justice as the concern is just on getting access to Fifa money and not development.

Yet others are asking where the national teams will play their games with still zero stadia homologated more than a year after the ban.

Even the Chinese built and donated National Stadium still stands as a good piece for a football museum despite several "threats" to fix it.

The SRC presser will set the tone for the direction our game will take, come Thursday, as the Zifa executive committee meet in Harare - The Page