ZIFASOL Fires Back at ZIFA

Witness Runodada ZimNow reporter

The Zimbabwe Football Federation for Amateur and Social Leagues (ZIFASOL) responded to (ZIFA), rejecting the latter’s prohibition against its operations and accusing the national football body of obstructing grassroots development and violating constitutional freedoms.

In a letter dated 15 June 2025 addressed to the ZIFA CEO, ZIFASOL President F. Zimunya firmly responded to ZIFA’s earlier correspondence dated 12 June 2025, which accused ZIFASOL of organising football activities at the area zone level without the proper authority. ZIFA reiterated its claim that “the organisation of area zone football is the exclusive mandate of ZIFA and its officially recognised members.”

However, ZIFASOL refuted this, stating that ZIFA had repeatedly avoided dialogue and failed to accommodate attempts to collaborate. “On several occasions, we have sought to have a meeting with you as ZIFA in order to exchange notes and see how we could work together in our endeavour to harmonise our work, but you have failed to accommodate us on several times by giving unfounded excuses,” wrote Zimunya.

The letter also criticised ZIFA for unilaterally excluding ZIFASOL from the ZIFA Assembly, describing the move as unlawful and detrimental to the development of football. “You have closed the door for ZIFASOL to be in the Assembly without following the proper procedure… without giving us the reasons for such a decision that affects thousands of people that ZIFA has failed to reach out to for the past 20 years or more,” ZIFASOL argued.

ZIFASOL maintains that it is not a ZIFA affiliate and functions independently with its own constitution, mandates, and operational structures. “ZIFASOL is not a ZIFA affiliate as it is an independent organisation with its own constitution and rules and regulations that govern its operations,” the response stated. It also asserted that “ZIFA has the mandate to promote football and not banning organisations that are promoting and developing football in every ward in Zimbabwe.”

The federation further warned ZIFA against what it termed a breach of constitutional freedoms. “The book of the land, the Constitution, provides for freedom of association that ZIFA intends to violate. This is also tantamount to violating people’s human rights, especially those living in remote rural areas in Zimbabwe where ZIFA has never set foot,” said Zimunya.

Accusing the ZIFA Assembly of being outdated and lacking the mandate to halt stakeholder efforts, ZIFASOL said it would continue its programs. “The ZIFA Assembly is now absolute. They have no mandate to give such a corrosive decision of stopping stakeholders from developing soccer,” the letter reads. “We are not stopping our programmes since our existence was born out of the Minister’s mandate as well as our members and organizational initiatives.”

ZIFASOL concluded its letter by issuing a warning: “If you continue to interfere with our operations, we will have no choice but to refer the matter to the Minister, the SRC, and will go for arbitration.”