ZIFA Distributes FIFA Equipment Despite FIFA Ordering It Not To
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) interim executive committee has distributed equipment that was supplied by FIFA despite being ordered not to do so by the world governing body.
Earlier this year, FIFA warned ZIFA against utilising their funds and resources on the grounds that the interim team led by Gift Banda was not legitimate.
FIFA wrote to ZIFA in July this year after they gathered that the board had used US$108 000 that came from the global body under the administration led by Felton Kamambo, NewsDay reported.
Read part of the FIFA letter which was written by CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba:
Please note that a breach of this directive will be regarded as a violation of the Fifa Council decision dated February 24, 2022, as ratified by the Fifa congress on March 31, 2022, and may subject Zifa or the officials involved to disciplinary sanctions.
A suspended member association may not exercise any of its membership rights.
Such rights being defined in Article 13 of the Fifa statutes. Consequently, Caf hereby directs Zifa to immediately cease using and accessing any funds deposited by Fifa or Caf in the Zifa accounts.
The Kamambo-led board was dissolved by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) last year over various charges, which include misappropriation of funds as well as failure to deal with reports of sexual exploitation of female referees.
The dissolution of the board prompted FIFA to suspend Zimbabwe from international football citing government interference.
Meanwhile, ZIFA has reportedly started distributing football equipment that was purchased using FIFA funds for FIFA-sanctioned programmes.
The football equipment is reportedly not benefiting the originally targeted recipients, with allegations that the executive committee members are converting some of it to personal use.
Banda, the Njube-Lobengula legislator, earlier this month held an eight-team Under-17 tournament in his constituency, where participating teams received football equipment.
Kamambo has warned Banda against distributing the football equipment, saying doing so would strain future relations between ZIFA and FIFA.
