THE newly-appointed FIFA Normalisation Committee established to run football in Zimbabwe for the next year has appointed a new five-member referees committee.
Chaired by former Dynamos Chairman Lincoln Mutasa, the Normalisation Committee announced on Wednesday as it was moving to improve the integrity of the local game, which had become corruption-fueled and challenging to govern.
FIFA appointed the four-member Normalisation Committee and tasked it to run the affairs of ZIFA until July next year after the world governing body lifted the suspension imposed on Zimbabwe for ‘third party interference’.
The committee issued a statement announcing the appointment of the new Referees Committee chaired by retired match official Norman Matemera who Faith Sibanda will deputise. Other members of this new committee are Stella Ruvinga, Kuda Rusina and Tendai Bwanya.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of the following esteemed members into the Referees Committee with effect from the 1st of August, 2023,” read the statement.
“On behalf of the FIFA Normalisation Committee, we would like to thank the outgoing committee for their efforts throughout their tenure.”
This committee came when match officials from the Southern Region wrote to the Normalisation Committee, calling for an investigation into the affairs of the referees’ committee in their region. They alleged rampant sexual abuse, corruption, bribery and extortion by two senior members of their Referees Committee in an unsigned letter to Mutasa’s committee.
Speaking to EnterSportNews, Mutasa said they are still waiting to receive the letter in question but also pointed out that his committee was mandated to rid the local game of such issues.
Outgoing Referees Committee head, Ruzive Ruzive, welcomed the new committee and pledged to “support the new team”.
The Normalisation Committee is also expected to announce soon the composition of a Technical Committee, which will be tasked with appointing the Warriors coach.
