Calls for Zimbabwe Cricket board to resign after conviction

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 December 2006

The reputation of officials running cricket in Zimbabwe was left in tatters on Monday when a Harare magistrate convicted the board for breaching the country’s strict foreign currency laws.

Zimbabwe Cricket pleaded guilty to making unauthorised payments to a foreign television company without the knowledge of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Between November 2004 and September 2005, ZC paid British based television production company Octagon CSI US$1.3 million for advertising and marketing services.

The lawyer representing Zimbabwe Cricket, Wilson Manase, admitted in court Monday that the cricket body’s hands were dirty hence their decision to plead guilty. Cricket analyst Elvis Sembezeya said under normal circumstances heads should roll at Zimbabwe Cricket because of the conviction.

‘The big question everyone should be asking now is what did that investment bring back to Zimbabwe Cricket. This is what we have been saying all along that money was being spent in unclear circumstances at ZC. After such a huge investment you would have expected better results but that has been the opposite,’ Sembezeya said.

The board was also accused of paying US$42 930 in college fees for two cricket players and board manager Wilfred Mukondiwa’s daughter who were studying overseas.

Recently Zimbabwe Cricket chief Peter Chingoka was accused of corruption involving millions of dollars. A group of former administrators and players accused him of presiding over the disappearance of US$7.3 million of income from television rights.

The group said the money’s disappearance allegedly involved ZC chief executive Osias Bvute, who was arrested with Chingoka a year ago before being released. They were arrested on suspicion of illegal foreign currency dealings.

It’s now believed stakeholders of the game are now demanding that the ZC board should be investigated to unravel more underhand financial dealings following Monday’s conviction.