Has Sport in Zimbabwe Really Been Hijacked?

By Staff Reporter

The Zimbabwean football fraternity has been rocked by controversy over the past few weeks, particularly in the wake of the disqualification of some high-caliber candidates ahead of the ZIFA presidential polls. Among those disqualified is Sabhuku Temba Mliswa, who took to X formerly Twitter to express his concerns: “Having appeals lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), when you already have a Normalisation Committee, relating to the ZIFA elections provides a disquieting backdrop and reinforces my argument from the start, that football is being hijacked!” Now, that is a very strong statement and raises a very critical question: has sport in Zimbabwe truly been hijacked?

The disqualification of such candidates as Walter Magaya, Farai Jere, and Temba Mliswa arose from a stern integrity review done by the ZIFA Ethics Committee. This review pitted the candidates against the eligibility criteria as stipulated in the ZIFA Statutes, which require them to be free from any ongoing civil, criminal, or disciplinary investigations.

– Walter Magaya was quizzed on outstanding court cases, among them a prior conviction which had put his qualification under question
– Farai Jere was disqualified for failure to meet the educational qualifications which the president should have among them five Ordinary Level passes
– Temba Mliswa was excluded over a prior criminal record which had a conviction for assault, one which barred him under Article 38.6 of the ZIFA Statutes.

While the integrity checks are meant to enforce ethical behavior within ZIFA, the way they have been conducted is controversial. Critics of the move argue that the process might be open to political machinations, adding that the disqualifications are part of a wider plot to manipulate the football industry. This sentiment is echoed in the opinion by Mliswa, which alludes that the integrity checks may be used as a smokescreen for a more sinister motive.

This would speak for itself when the situation calls for more transparency in the process of elections. Necessary integrity checks, however, shall be conducted fairly and without prejudice; the very fact that CAS is handling the appeals proves something is intrinsically wrong with legitimacy of the process itself. When candidates feel that the system is rigged against them, this undermines the very fabric of trust needed to develop football in Zimbabwe.

With the dust settled, it’s also important for the stakeholders to give some introspection on what these disqualifications mean. Are we looking at some real attempt to clean up the sport here, or is there more to this? The voices of those disqualified, particularly Temba Mliswa, speak to concerns that require vigilance and accountability in the governance of Zimbabwean football. The future of the game may just depend on our capacity to deal with these concerns head-on.