Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Zimbabweans yesterday expressed outrage over Zifa councillors’ decision to re-elect Dr Cuthbert Dube as president of the football association after it emerged that he had made himself the highest-paid public sector chief executive over the past two years. Dr Dube shrugged off the challenge of Mr Trevor Carelse-Juul when he polled 44 votes to the latter’s 34 in a run-off to land the top football post.
Other contestants, Mr Nigel Munyati and Mr Leslie Gwindi, fell in the first round of voting.
As the news of Dr Dube’s victory filtered in on Saturday, many people alleged impropriety in the poll.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Prof Jonathan Moyo described Dr Dube’s re-election as indecent and in defiance of all rationality and purpose.
“Well, ordinarily one would not want to comment on what was essentially a closed and rather specialised football election limited to the Zifa family and whose electorate had less than 100 voters. But it is also true that the beautiful game, that is football, is everybody’s business. Football is beautiful not only because it is played in many beautiful ways but also because we all enjoy it and therefore we all care about how it is run and who runs it.
‘‘As such, I suppose the first decent thing to say about the outcome of the weekend Zifa elections is to congratulate the winners and to wish them well. But as we say amhlophe and makorokoto to the winners we must also be honest to realise and state without fear or favour that the outcome of these elections was indecent and defied all rationality and purpose. What exactly was endorsed by this scandalous vote?’’ He said.
‘‘It is obvious to anyone who cares to examine the situation, and this should be particularly self-evident to the limited Zifa electorate that voted over the weekend, that the leadership that was returned had nothing to show for its performance and nothing different, new or better to offer.
Zimbabwean soccer today is clearly in the doldrums in every respect with its administration characterised by breath taking chaos, incompetence and corruption with no precedence since our independence in 1980. The notion that the Zifa electorate voted for continuity is shamefully revealing. Continuity of what else besides naked and embarrassing failure?
‘‘For the first time, Zifa its affairs have become personalised and corrupted to the detriment of the national interest, let alone the values and ethos of the beautiful game. An example of this rot is how some elements within the Zifa leadership have had no shame in arrogantly boasting that they have been underwriting Zifa from their own personal pockets.
“Why would anyone use their own money from their own pockets to meet Zifa expenses? How deep are these pockets? What is the source of income of these deep and generous pockets? And if anyone has deep pockets to pay for all manner of Zifa expenses, does it not stand to reason that they can also buy their re-election to the Zifa leadership?
‘‘And so, as we congratulate the winners of the Zifa election, it must also be pointed out that nobody is fooled by the Zifa circus whose corruption in terms of moral irresponsibility was exposed by the outcome of the election. The Zifa electorate has prepared a bed full of thorns and they must now lie on that bed themselves and perhaps with the leadership it voted for. Nobody else, particularly the general public, football supporters or even sponsors, should be expected to lie on that thorny and dirty bed. The buck should stop with the indecent outcome of the scandalous election,” Prof Moyo said..
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Mr Japhet Moyo said morally it was wrong for a country to allow a person with such a background to continue “serving” the public.
“He is not a suitable candidate judging by reports that we have been reading. Morally it was wrong for him to take home US$500 000 when the economy was performing badly and when Premier Service Medical Aid Society (where he was group CEO) was struggling to pay off health services delivered to its members,” said Mr Moyo.
“The decision was not proper. It was unfortunate that people who voted were looking at a person who would use his personal resources and they think or assume that he will continue to use them to help the association.”
Federation of Non-Governmental Organisation president Mr Goodson Nguni said the vote showed that the Sports and Recreation Commission was failing stamp its authority.
“It was a big mistake. It is a bad era for our football. It does not matter whether the allegations are true or not but he is tainted,” said Mr Nguni.
Former Zifa administrator Mr Lazarus Mhurushomana added: “Football at the moment is in the doldrums and it will remain like that for the next four years. There is no hope for the incumbent to retire the US$6 million debt accrued by Zifa because no plan has been pronounced to that effect.”
Former Zifa board member and Northern Region chairperson Mr Francis Zimunya, however, said everyone must respect the Zifa councillors’ decision.
“When they voted, they were expressing a view of their constituencies and we need to respect that. All we can do is to support those that have been elected and see how we can help,” said Mr Zimunya.
But football fan Mr Sam Mutonhori of Highfield, Harare, differed: “This is outrageous. How can you re-elect a person whose reputation has been damaged. It is the moral aspect councillors ought to have considered.”
Another football follower, Mr Jackson Mashingiri, said there must be a legal mechanism to bar people with questionable backgrounds from standing for such offices.
Others said Dr Dube should get the benefit of doubt as no criminal charges had been preferred against former PSMAS CEO and he remained innocent until proven guilty.