Football Fans Urge Mnangagwa To "Knock Some Sense" Into Gerald Mlotshwa
Football fans have pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene in the dispute between the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and the suspended Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) board to ensure that the sanctions imposed on the country by FIFA are lifted.
Zimbabwe national football teams and clubs are banned from participating in international football tournaments after the country was suspended by FIFA in early 2022.
The suspension came after the SRCled by Gerald Mlotshwa dismissed ZIFA board members including its president, Felton Kamambo over a litany of allegations including corruption and the sexual harassment of female referees.
In a recent statement, Zimbabwe National Soccer Supportersโ Association (ZNSSA) secretary-general Joseph Mutawu said Mnangagwa should intervene to end the impasse between SRC and ZIFA. He said:
We urge and plead with our listening President ED Mnangagwa to chip in, reign in Mlotshwa and Kamambo and knock sense in their heads.
Football stars such as Marshall Munetsi, coaches, administrators, and parliamentarians have all been calling for Mlotshwa to reinstate Kamambo so that the country can return to international football.
Mlotshwa and the SRC have made it clear that getting the FIFA suspension lifted is not a priority. Said ZNSSA:
All these calls from the football-loving community and the oversight from Parliament fell on deaf ears of Gerald Mlotshwa-led SRC.
Mlotshwa has responded by saying that Zimbabwe was not in a hurry to get the FIFA suspension lifted. Like seriously Mlotshwa?
This was a rude and unthoughtful statement. How dare you Mlotshwa? As supporters, we have now realised that the road which was taken by SRC is leading us to nowhere.
The only expected destination in this case is leading Zimbabwe football into oblivion, destruction, extinction and misery.
That cannot happen under our watch as supporters and we demand that SRC end this madness.
Mlotshwa recently said it was now impossible to reinstate Kamambo saying doing so will be in violation of the ZIFA constitution and SRC Act. He said:
It is a fact that Felton Kamambo is no longer the ZIFA president, having been recalled by his own congress.
It follows, logically, that the SRC is not able to reinstate him to that position.
Any such attempt would, ironically, be blatantly unlawful in terms of ZIFAโs current constitution, as well as the SRC Act.
More:ย Pindula News
