Phillip Chiyangwa
Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Harare
FORTY-EIGHT Zifa councillors attended businessman Philip Chiyangwa’s manifesto launch at a Harare hotel on Saturday night. They included all 10 provincial chairpersons, four regional bosses, beach soccer representatives, Futsal, tertiary, Naph, Nash, area zones and six Premier Soccer League clubs, among them Dynamos. Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Karigoka Kaseke also attended the launch.
Chiyangwa said his challenge would be to reposition Zifa as relevant custodians of the beautiful game by restoring and maintaining trust and rebuilding real value so that the nation can earn the attention and respect of all the game’s constituencies.
“We intend to build an FA brand that is strong and valuable to Zimbabwe and beyond. We will develop the brand through consistent management of the FA values, beliefs and product quality, not just at 53 Livingstone Avenue or on the field of play, but wherever the brand touches the owners of the game,” said Chiyangwa.
“I intend to rebuild, restore and reposition an FA that delivers inherent value and more to players, fans, corporates, government and football; an association that stimulates positive relationships and experiences that are grown and nurtured from consistent and effective marketing effort and investment.”
He also promised to immediately institute a thorough forensic audit of Zifa properties and report any wrongdoing to the police.
He also hinted that his board could change the Zifa name as part of his rebranding exercise since the present name is tainted and generally associated with maladministration.
Chiyangwa said he would not seek a new term in 2018, but Zifa must be critiqued by common marketing ratings such as market dominance, longevity, goodwill, fan loyalty and overall market acceptance in the next 27 months.
“Together with the board, I will introduce, uphold and make transparent the processes of decision-making. I will give back power to the executive and ultimately to the Zifa council. Corporate governance is described by some as an environment of trust, ethics, moral values and confidence.
“Zifa needs to rebuild and restore corporate governance so that it can reposition itself as a credible institution. Transparency will be the hallmark of my leadership.
“I intend to run an FA that is transparent, an FA whose doors are open to everyone and anyone who wants to walk in and engage with an interactive, courteous and helpful secretariat that seeks to serve. We’ll be open to criticism and we’ll work to improve ourselves, we will restore transparency and abolish the culture of secrecy and privatisation of Zifa because the association belongs to the people,” said Chiyangwa.
He also promised to work closely with the women’s football leadership, especially focusing on the 2016 Rio Olympics in which the Mighty Warriors will be a part of.
“Women’s football structures are only visible at the senior level with no corresponding operational structures to mirror the men’s leagues. Together with the women football leadership I will prioritise the empowerment of the girl child and lead a wider strategy to increase participation figures for women’s football and support the vision of having it as one of the largest team sports by 2018. I will ensure they access their share of Fifa FAP funds,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions that he was coming into football for political expediency, saying he is already at the highest levels of political leadership in the country.
“Those are unfounded claims. I’m a member of the Zanu-PF central committee, the highest body that one can aspire to be,” he said.