The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) board has backed down on the Sports and Recreation Commission decision to uphold their suspension from conducting any football duties.
Following their suspension last month, the Felton Kamambo-led ZIFA board announced that that they had bounced back at 53 Livingstone Avenue after filing an appeal against the SRC decision.
However, SRC insisted that the suspension imposed on the ZIFA board was still in force regardless of the appeal.
In a statement, the ZIFA Board has conceded defeat saying they cannot be in a physical confrontation with the regulator, chosing to take a back seat to avoid unnecessary drama.
“The ZIFA Board wishes to inform the nation that, following the lodging of its appeal with the Administrative Court which by operation of law suspended the SRC decision to suspend permanently (dismiss) the ZIFA Board and the subsequent resumption of duty by the Board as shared in our previous press statement of 3 December 2021, the SRC has since directed that the Board remains suspended despite the appeal, in complete disregard and disobedience to the laws of Zimbabwe.
“While the ZIFA Board is totally convinced that its appeal did suspend the SRC decision, it cannot however be involved in physical confrontation with the regulator (SRC). As such, the ZIFA Board advises the nation that, in order to avoid unnecessary drama, it shall for now take a back seat until guidance from FIFA has been received, full prosecution of the Admin Court appeal or as and when the SRC decides to obey the laws of the land, whichever will come first,” wrote the ZIFA board
The board also announced that it will be shelving plans that it had previously announced as it had become ‘practically impossible to implement them’.
“In this particular instance, the Board will not therefore be further involved in the day to day running of the FA in order to avoid confrontational exchanges with the SRC. All plans therefore previously announced by the Board as requiring its actioning will for now be shelved as it has become practically impossible to implement same with the SRC’s continued interference and threats of “severe consequences” whatever this means.
“The ZIFA Board members have been subjected to continuous persecution over its 3-year tenure at the hands of the SRC, including false criminal police reports and the Board has reasons to believe that the said “severe consequences” include but are not limited to possible malicious persecution such as arbitral and malicious arrests should the Board continue exercising its valid and legal mandate as given by the ZIFA council,” said ZIFA
The board said all decisions by the SRC on football currently or in future, are therefore tantamount to interference in the affairs of football administration.
