Even the fact that Scott Sakupwanya took to the pitch with Zifa Northern Region One side Scotland FC and now claims to have been “pretty much” involved in football for years further fuels the election breeze.
There is something going on behind the scenes that tells us that the Zifa board elections could be held any time in 2024.
Although the Zifa normalization committee has remained silent on the election, the intensity of the jostling for positions — in the corridors seems to indicate the fact that there are some who know more about what's going on than the rest of us.
There is so much activity behind the scenes to the extent that different camps have allocated positions to each other, although at this point it is premature to reveal who will go for which position.
Although the names of UK-based Walter Magaya and Marshall Gore are floating around, there are more—including some well-known faces—who also want the mantle of Zifa chairman.
Standardsport is not at liberty to reveal who is vying for the Zifa presidency but can safely reveal that the list reads like a who-is-who of Zimbabwean football.
Even the fact that Scott Sakupwanya took to the pitch with Zifa Northern Region One side Scotland FC and now claims to have been “pretty much” involved in football for years further fuels the election breeze.
As well as funding this Scottish team, the Mabvuku MP claims to have been involved in the development of youth football in his area and was behind the group that ran Mabvuku United.
What a coincidence of the timing of his revelation about his “long-term” association with football and the tumult over Zifa board positions going on elsewhere and the possibility of Zifa board elections this year.
The football family, however, is concerned about the reluctance of the normalization committee to share where they stand now in terms of the constitution and how far they have progressed in terms of elections.
They believe that the Constitution itself has many gray areas that need to be rectified before the elections in the area zones, districts, provinces, districts and the PSL can be held.
They are worried that even the recommendations of the SRC-appointed Zifa restructuring committee on Zifa's constitution have not been implemented, two years after their proposal.
However, the news is that there is unlikely to be a direct election across all Zifa affiliates as incumbents will elect the new Zifa board – something another section of the football family is resisting.
It is this Zifa meeting that has been accused of causing the problems Zimbabwean football has been facing since 2010 when Cuthbert Dube ascended to football power.
In fact, this Zifa assembly has been accused of selling its vote to undeserving candidates while rejecting those who had the capacity to turn Zimbabwean football around.
The football family, however, are fed up with the normalization committee and don't care who votes or who doesn't, they want a meaningful Zifa board at 53 Livingstone Avenue.
What they hope is that this time, the Zifa convention will abandon its “money-for-vote tradition” and make things right.
