By Sports Reporter
The suspended Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Felton Kamambo led board on Monday with immediate effect suspended the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenny Ndebele.
Ndebele’s suspension was confirmed in a letter written by ZIFA’s chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse who was also suspended by the country’s sport regulator the SRC which reads as follows:
“RE: IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION AS A FOOTBALL OFFICIAL/ PSL CEO -PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (PSL).
The above matter refers.
The Zimbabwe Football Association, by copy of this letter hereby, inform you of your provisional suspension which has been occasioned by several acts of misconduct.
A detailed charge sheet on your alleged misconduct is herewith attached whereupon you shall be subjected to standard due disciplinary processes.
The Association, by copy of this correspondence, hereby request that you cease, with immediate effect, conduct of any Association football business in Zimbabwe.
Your sincerely.
For and on behalf of ZIFA
JOSEPH MAMUTSE
ANNEXURE A 28 January 2022
Mr Kenny Ndebele Allegations:
1. Holding illegal meeting which included Martin Kweza, Sweeney Mushonga, Kenny Ndebele and SRC members plotting the illegal removal of a constitutionally elected ZIFA Board.
2. Fraudulent misled some PSL Clubs that the current Board members wanted to trim the PSL representation in council from present 18 to 6 in the constitutional review when in fact it was Mr Kweza and Mr Mushonga who brought that contribution through what they presented in writing as the Northern Region constitutional input to the new ZIFA Constitution. This was done to create anger and resentment from PSL towards some current serving Board members when in actual fact it was the two who suggested this (Attached Annexure A — Norther Region Constitutional Contribution).
3. Plotting with SRC and Kenny Ndebele to cause football to be ungovernable while misleading some delegates of the safety during restructuring until the removal of some of the current ZIFA Board Members wherein it was clandestinely agreed that the duo of Kweza and Mushonga were to be spared from the SRC restructuring targeted at the majority of council delegates. It was the agreed resolution that for assisting to remove some current Board members and help SRC achieve it objective without attracting FIFA censor of interference, the duo of Kweza and Mushonga will in return be set for ZIFA President and General Secretary respectively. One such meeting was held at Cresta Oasis between Kenny Ndebele and Sweeney Mushonga (evidence and witnesses will be led during hearings).
4. Putting football into disrepute and caused alarm and despondence through several press statements wherein you alleged several unproved transgressions on the current ZIFA Board, made utterances that the current Board was holding football at ransom, that their days in office were numbered, that the current board members were intimidating Congress Delegates through written threats all along knowing this to be untrue and without any shrewd of sustainable evidence.
5. Supporting third party interferences in football through utterances that support the SRC action on the Board even in instances where the ultimate football authority had ruled on that matter.
6. Putting football into disrepute and caused alarm and despondence through several press statements wherein you alleged several unproved transgressions on the current ZIFA Board, made utterances that the current Board was holding football at ransom, that their days in office were numbered, that the current board members were intimidating Congress Delegates through written threats all along knowing this to be untrue and without any shrewd of sustainable evidence.”
Apart from Ndebele, Kamambo also suspended the Acting ZIFA Head of Secretariat Xolisani Gwesela, the Warriors teams manager Wellington Mpandare and 27 councilors.
The ZIFA Northern Region executive that include Sweeny Mushonga and Martin Kweza was also suspended.
However, they were all given 48 hours to respond to the charges.
They are accused of allegedly trying to overthrow the suspended ZIFA board.
This comes after the suspended officials requested to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting which was scheduled to take place over the weekend but was cancelled by the world’s football governing body FIFA.
Reports indicate that the EGM was aimed at overthrowing the Kamambo led board which of late has been accused for football maladministration.
