PROPHETIC, Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Walter Magaya has refuted allegations of vote buying ahead for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) elections slated for next year.
The man of cloth recently unveiled a $320,000 sponsorship for The Heart Women Soccer run by the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League through his The Heart Group of companies.
This sponsorship led to many outsiders saying that the prophet was playing the long game with one eye towards the ZIFA elections next year by buying the women’s vote.
Magaya however denied such a conspiracy theory and demanded some respect for all the philanthropy work he has done in the past
“$320 000 may be the smallest amount I have sponsored to sport. I started sponsoring the sport in 2012 and if you calculate the money that I have sponsored, I have surpassed way above 10 million dollars towards what I have given to Sports,” said Magaya on the sidelines of The Heart Women Soccer League workshop at his Yadah Hotel in Waterfalls, Harare.
Magaya also said that he has not thrown his name in the ring for the ZIFA presidency and neither has anyone approached him to run for the top ZIFA job.
“I was a sports administrator at Gunners Football Club in 2006. Giving to the sport has been my culture and it’s sad if you now want to associate it with ZIFA presidency which I believe is a post that needs somebody to announce that I am now part of it. I have not yet announced that I am part of it,” he added.
“If I am going to be part of it, it is because the Lord has allowed it or there is a proper request that has come from people to partake in such. Sponsoring sport has been my culture and I have done it for many years.”
Magaya is well known for hosting and rewarding Zimbabwe sports teams that would have excelled in regional and international sporting tournaments.
“At one point I remember giving men’s national team, money that is way above the COSAFA prize money, so we can’t describe this giving as associated with ZIFA presidency which is happening once in five years whilst I have been giving every year,” he reasoned.
“Constructing The Heart Stadium, I started doing it way before the ZIFA presidency was even in the limelight. I have constructed a stadium in Malawi but I am not campaigning in Malawi.
“I am building a stadium in Namibia, what do I benefit except following my passion and wanting to help youngsters to be in sport. I have constructed a stadium in Mozambique but I am not part of their election, I am not from Mozambique but I am from Zimbabwe.”
“Giving to sport is only part of how I am moulded and how I want to see youngsters performing at the highest level. I have given to rugby, I have sent 37 athletes to Algeria and they came back with 18 medals. It is different from soccer.”
Magaya is also sponsoring netball teams in his hometown, Chitungwiza.
“I own The Heart Women’s Netball league in Chitungwiza and I sponsor all the 16 teams in that league. It has nothing to do with soccer and ZIFA positions. We can’t then take the minor and try to magnify it,” he said.
Whilst the ZIFA elections will only be held under the new constitution which is still under the consultation stage before ratification.
United Kingdom-based Marshall Gore has already thrown his name in the hat and wants to be the next ZIFA chairman.
However, he faces a significant challenge, as the constitution drafters intend to disqualify anyone who has not resided in Zimbabwe for two consecutive years from running for office.
