Zifa audit implicates Jonga in US$800 000 murky tr...

Zifa audit implicates Jonga in US$800 000 murky transactions

Gilbert Munetsi

The 49-page report from BDO Chartered Accountants who were engaged by the Sports and Recreation Commission to carry out a forensic audit on Zimbabwe Football Association points to fraud and a system in total shambles, Zim Now can reveal.

A company called Rollertag, in which ZIFA councilor Marshall Jonga is a shareholder, received payment for goods worth US$791 171 that are backed by no corresponding receipt of goods, the audit report says:

“On May 13, 2019, an amount of US$240 000 was paid to Rollertag and there was no proof or evidence available that the goods were received by Zifa. We were also not furnished with other supporting documents for this transaction such as invoices.

“In 2021, two invoices amounting to US$48 135.64 and US$52 668 paid on 23 April 2021 and 10 June 2021 respectively had their deliveries still outstanding up to the time of investigation.”

FIFA Forward Development Regulations 8(u) clearly specify that members involved in the running of national associations should not be involved in conflicts of interest.

Jonga is said to have told the auditors that he was not aware he should have declared his interest in Rollertag.

The prime object of the audit was to verify whether all grants forwarded to the local football association had been recorded.

The report says Zifa lacked a systematic way of depositing and withdrawing funds availed to it by different donor stakeholders such as the Government, COSAFA, Confederation of African Football and FIFA, making it difficult to audit their accounts.

“Instead, they maintained one ledger or recording of all their transactions. Due to this, we were unable to identify expenses which were paid utilizing FIFA Forward funds, for example, from the ledger,”

The report also states that there is much missing information which the audit team failed to access.

“It is possible that documents and information exist which were not made available to us or which we were unable to locate,” notes BDO in its remarks.

Zimbabwe has been banned from participating in regional, continental and international football events following a stalemate between Zifa and the SRC.

The audit was carried out in terms of ISRS 4400 (engagements to perform agreed upon procedures regarding financial information on Zifa’s operations) for the period 1 December 2018-30 November 2021.

Recently there was a fierce debate in parliament when Hon Temba Mliswa attacked a move by the house’s sports portfolio committee - that includes former ZIFA vice-president Omega Sibanda- to restore the Felton Kamambo board – a directive that was tantamount to anticipation and dismissal of the (at the time) unpublished BDO audit report.