The President of the Zimbabwe Football Association, Nqobile Magwizi, has reportedly declined a luxury US$250,000 Range Rover Sport D350 Autobiography offered to him by businessman and football benefactor Wicknell Chivayo, in a move seen as an effort to avoid breaching FIFA’s strict ethics code.
Chivayo, who bankrolls Premier Soccer League clubs Highlanders and Scottland FC, is said to have offered the vehicle as a token of appreciation for Magwizi’s leadership over the past year.
But the gift immediately raised ethical concerns, given football’s global rules against officials receiving personal benefits from individuals with vested interests in the game.
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Sources close to the matter say Magwizi opted to turn down the offer to remain compliant with FIFA regulations, which bar football administrators from accepting gifts that could compromise their independence or be interpreted as inducements.
Magwizi becomes the third person to decline Chivayo’s largesse. Musician Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo turned down Chivayo’s public offer for a house and cash while ZAOGA church leader Apostle Eunor Guti also spurned Chivayo’s offering while questioning the godliness of that latter’s gifting.
Chivayo has defended his actions as acts of goodwill and appreciation.
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