By Hope Chizuzu
The CAF General Secretary’s letter to his Zifa counterpart on the status report exposed Failton Kamambo’s letter to Fifa on July 9, The Page can reveal.
In the letter, drafted by Phelimon Machana to Fifa panicking that the audit done by BDO Auditors is ready, to which Fifa responded by asking CAF to send them Zifa status report including how far they have gone with the female referees abuse case which Fifa pushed to them to complete is interesting.
But CAF instead of explaining the status, shoved the whole issue to Zifa CEO, in a communication that has reactivated the public debate.
Yet what is not said is that Fifa had quickly responded to questions by the auditors BDO, explaining the funding, amounts in Fifa 2.0 grants and how they should be used.
The response by FIFA to the auditors looking into the Zifa books during the Kamambo era was pivotal in the forensic audit – explaining how the Fifa funds are used.
It was in the same correspondence that Fifa confirmed receiving a request from Machana, writing as chairman of Zifa finance committee, to release USD200k for payment of salaries for the secretariat of Zifa.
But the money wasn’t released until Kamambo and Machana were jettisoned from Zifa, first via suspension by SRC on November 16, 2021 before the final nail on April 23 2022 by Congress at an EGM.
The money was only accessed by the Executive Committee headed by Gift Banda last month when SRC lifted the suspension on the Zifa Exco.
It is this money that CAF secretary general is referring to in his communication to Zifa.
Zifa have not received any money from either CAF or FIFA since last year. Not even money that was due to Zifa by July, nor the Afcon 2021 played in January in Cameroon.
So CAF’s communication is not sincere in as far as the situation in Zifa concerned.
What it confirms is that indeed the EGM was not only legal but also that the resolution to recall Kamambo, Machana and sex pest, Bryton Malandule was above board.
When Fifa reiterated to SRC that they must restore the Kamambo led executive, it was clear they are not entertaining any change of the 2018 to 2022 Congress which brought Kamambo to presidency.
It doesn’t mean, as Fifa, they want to see Kamambo back because they acknowledge the decision of the EGM that recalled the trio was called for according to the statutes.
No one else, except the Congress has authority to elect or recall the Exco. It is statutory, that is why Veron Omba, the CAF CEO wrote to Zifa secretary general, whom he knows had his suspension by SRC lifted.
That he has elected to not report for duty is the matter for the Zifa Exco to deal with but as far as Fifa and CAF are concerned that condition of lifting the suspension was met.
But what needs to be dealt with by SRC is how and why Machana and crew continue to communicate with FIFA when they’re clearly no longer part of the football family.
Has the SRC fully explained the situation to FIFA on the status? Off course the Zifa have communicated to Fifa since the EGM.
The latest CAF communication is showing gaps and is meant to cause confusion in this otherwise complex matter.
It is not as easy as many want to think because it involves a lot of things. CAF are yet to deal with the Malandule matter.
The case before our public courts is yet to be finalized and the truancy by CAF to ask SRC to drop the case is telling.
The SRC need to also understand that this is clearly a case for their in -tray material. It is surprising why matters for these guys is taking so long to expedite, giving them windows to misbehave as they have done by communicating with FIFA.
It is their communication that has led CAF to also get involved yet the same Cairo based organization has sat on the Malandule case for months.
The SRC must act and explain to Fifa that the restructuring committee is not running football.
This misconception is deliberate to create an excuse for confusion like this one wrought by CAF’s letter.
The audit report must be dealt with expeditiously and if possible, the findings of the restructuring committee can also in the interim, be commuted to action, calling to account those that have been singled out.
The Page has it on good authority that the restructuring committee have recommended action against certain individuals who had angled themselves for re-election using the amendment of the constitution.
That is enough prima facie for action to be taken. Meanwhile Banda must call for Exco meeting to specifically discuss this CAF communication with the view to explaining fully the status of Zifa.
Such a meeting must have a resolution that clearly address all the issues raised by the CAF secretary general point by point.
It is not a war but simply to explain that the Kamambo led executive was restored and that Joseph Mamutse 2020 suspension was also lifted, without conditions, as alleged by Machana in the communication to Fifa.
Zifa must also fully explain the effect of the decisions taken by Congress in view of the recalling of the trio of Kamambo, Machana and Malandule.
Not that Fifa disputes that, but just for the avoidance of any doubt…and may also request for update on the status of female referees abuse case which is now firmly at CAF’s desk.
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