THE Zimbabwe Football Association on Monday appointed a former Supreme Court judge and international cricket match referee to lead an independent investigation into a lingering match-fixing scandal.
ZIFA named Ahmed Ebrahim as head of a six-man disciplinary committee which will conduct hearings and determine punishments for players and officials accused of throwing games on Zimbabwe national team tours to Asia between 2007 and 2009.
Some players admitted their guilt as far back as 2010 in a ZIFA report - which was sent to world body FIFA - but cases have still not been concluded.
ZIFA President Cuthbert Dube said the committee would operate ''in terms of FIFA and ZIFA statures.''
''This (committee) is independent in the correct sense of independence. We would like them to execute their duty as freely as possible,'' Dube said.
Ebrahim has worked for the International Cricket Council as a match referee and in 2004 handed a five-year ban to Kenyan cricketer Maurice Odumbe for links with known bookmakers.
On Monday he promised to bring Zimbabwe's football fixing shame to an end.
''I want to assure everyone that this committee will not shun its responsibility in bringing all those who transgressed to book,'' Ebrahim said.
The ZIFA Independent Disciplinary Ad Hoc Committee also includes lawyers John Reid-Rowland, Tererai Gunje and Advocate Lewis Uriri. Former police Assistant Commissioner Emmanuel Chimwanda, former Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) chairman Gibson Mashingaidze and former referee Kenny Sigoba complete the list.
Dube said: “Football cannot be defaced by selfish, shameless, corrupt, unpatriotic and morally bankrupt individuals for a mere thirty prices of silver. At the same time, this is in an opportunity for individuals to be cleared or otherwise of their involvement in the scandal.”
The committee will rely heavily on the two reports produced by the Ndumiso Gumede-led investigating committee. The other members of that committee were Fungai Chihuri, the
Eastern Region ZIFA chairman and board members Benedict Moyo and Elliot Kasu respectively.
The release of the second Asiagate report has already seen the suspension of vice chairman Kenny Marange, Northern Region chairman Solomon Mugavazi and board member (development) Methembe Ndlovu.
It is Mugavazi’s team, 2008 champions Monomotapa, who blew the whole scam into the open when they travelled to Malaysia under the guise of the national team and even wore the national team kit.
On the same weekend they travelled to Asia, they were supposed to be involved in a league match against Highway. They did not seek PSL approval for the trip, which led to further questions.
Former ZIFA chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya, programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana and marketing officer Harry Taruva have also been shown the door from the national association.
Zifa has also taken the unusual step to retire four officials from 53 Livingstone Avenue connected to the last board, in particular Rushwaya.