Former Warriors and Manchester City forward, Benjani Mwaruwari, has called on the ZIFA Normalization Committee to explain why he was excluded from the final list of presidential candidates who met the eligibility requirements for the upcoming ZIFA election.
The ZIFA Normalization Committee, headed by Lincon Mutasa, which also acts as the electoral commission for the association’s critical election set for next month, announced its final list of qualified candidates yesterday.
Mwaruwari, along with outgoing Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Farai Jere, well-known cleric Walter Magaya, and politician Temba Mliswa, was notably absent from the list.
In a letter seeking clarification, Mwaruwari expressed frustration, stating that he has not been informed of the specific reasons for his disqualification.
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“With all due respect, our client currently has no knowledge of the reasons why the committee determined he failed to meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the ZIFA Statutes of 2024, prior to releasing and publishing the final list of candidates,” the letter stated.
“Our client cannot appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as stipulated in the ZIFA Statutes without first understanding the reasons behind the decision. With the holidays fast approaching, our client is left in an uncertain situation.”
The letter continued, expressing Mwaruwari’s dissatisfaction with the decision, stating that he intends to pursue an appeal without delay.
“Our client respectfully requests that you urgently provide a full written explanation for why the committee concluded that Mr. Benjani Mwaruwari did not meet the eligibility criteria for the ZIFA presidential election. He would appreciate receiving this information within the next twelve (12) hours from the time this letter is served.”
