Clubs rebuke national division league

Philemon Jambaya

Acting Zifa president Gift Banda’s push for a National Division League is set to suffer a still birth after clubs rebuked the move, saying it was unconstitutional.

In a letter to acting Zifa chief executive Xolisani Gwesela, the clubs speaking through the chairpersons of the four regional Division One leagues, shot down the move saying the Zifa executive committee doesn’t have the constitutional powers to make such a decision outside the Zifa Congress.

The four regional chairpersons, Andrew Tapela of Southern Region, Patrick Hill of Central Region, Davison Muchena of Eastern Region and Martin Kweza of Northern Region said the conceptualisation and communication of the National Division League was not well thought-out as it didn’t take into consideration the contractual agreements that the clubs and the regions had entered into with sponsors and players.

“As the leadership of the Regional Leagues and in consultation with our respective clubs, we note with concern the apparent breach of the Zifa constitution in the manner which you seek to admit the National League as a member,” read part of the letter.

“Article 9.1 of the Zifa constitution states that the Congress shall decide whether to admit, suspend or expel a Member, whereas Article 9.2 goes further to state that, the admission may be granted if the applicant fulfils the requirements of Zifa, such requirements are as enunciated in Article 10(3).”

“We wish to bring to your attention that the admission of a member is a preserve of the Congress, and such decision cannot be passed by the Executive Committee. For avoidance of doubt Article 10, merely provides for the membership of a National League once it has been established. The said article must never be read to imply that it is a requirement, but merely a provision and whose establishment must follow the strict laid down guidelines as provided for in Article 9.”

The regional chairpersons also berated the Zifa Executive Committee for not taking into consideration that clubs and the division leagues had already done their budgets for the 2023 calendar year.

“There can never be any logical reason why we may want to rupture all contractual obligations which teams in the lower leagues may have entered into, be it with players or sponsors. We have teams which signed players on the basis that they will be playing Division One Football. We had teams which have signed up with sponsors and drawn up budgets for regional division one football, all this and many more other factors have to be evaluated for the good of our game.”