Jailed ZIFA official says he stole to pay school fees

By Lance Guma
30 May 2006

A Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) administrator who stole Z$124 million from the organisation says he did so to pay school fees for his three children and another three orphans under his care. Joshua Khumalo who worked as an administrator in the Harare Province took the money which had been paid in as affiliation fees by four Division One teams. Magistrate Priscilla Chigumba slapped Khumalo with a 14-month jail term while a combined 6 months of that sentenced was suspended on condition he pays back the money.

With the WOZA women leading a sustained school fee protest in cities across the country, Khumalo’s illegal actions put the issue into perspective. Natty Zvimba a sports commentator told Newsreel, ‘if people who are well off are struggling to pay school fees for their children, what more for the average person?’ Zvimba however pointed out that there was a culture of theft within the football association and the issue did not come as a surprise. He suspects Khumalo was only exposed because he might have failed to remit some of the money to his colleagues.

He attacked the structure of football administration in the country saying Khumalo should not have been in a position to receive the money in cash in the first place. According to a Herald report he received $42 million from Sports Excel Football Club, $32 million from Marlborough Football Club and $25 million apiece from KBC Football Club and Highfield Chiefs Football Club as affiliation fees but decided to convert it for personal use.