HARARE – Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) deleted its Monday press statement from its social media handles in an apparent buckle to Walter Magaya’s threats.
This comes after Walter Magaya’s Heart Group, owners of Heart Stadium in Harare, launched an attack against ZIFA normalisation committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa who said in a statement on Monday that the preacher’s stadium fell short of the required standard to host international football matches.
In a response issued through lawyers, the group demanded a retraction from the ZIFA boss and further threatened to sue for US$1 million in damages for what they claimed was defamation and “misrepresentations”.
The group accused Mutasa of lying about the status of their stadium and believe he wants to destroy its image and that of Magaya who has been linked to the football mother body’s top job.
ZIFA, in a Monday statement said the stadium had no proper ablution facilities and media rooms, a key requirement to a stadium being granted the nod to host international matches.
Through its lawyer, Admire Rubaya of Rubaya and Chatambudza Attorneys, the group said Mutasa or the association have never been to the stadium in the first place and it was strange they could still purport to know the facility.
“Our client was shocked that you claim to have conducted preliminary inspections of the Heart Stadium regarding its suitability to host Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos Football Clubs’ preliminary CAF Competitions fixtures.
“It is very unprofessional for you to communicate falsehoods to the nation in the absence of a physical inspection.
“It is further perplexing that you claim that our client’s stadium lacks a media tribune yet journalists from all the media houses have never lodged any complaint regards that,” said Rubaya in a letter of demand to ZIFA.
They said Mutasa and ZIFA even snubbed several invitations to inspect the stadium and also its recent commissioning by President Emmerson Mnangagwa hence, have no standing to pass comment on a facility they have never been to.
They said it was defamatory for ZIFA to claim that the president presided over a sham project further demanding a retraction.
The group further slammed Mutasa for being “excitable and reckless by relying on rumours without verification.
“It is unfortunate that you want to gather information based on rumours from social media, which might be very misleading.
“You should know that you are no longer a nonentity, but you occupy a very important position thanks to FIFA for choosing you.
“Therefore, you need to approach football issues with caution, and you need to conduct yourselves with absolute candour as well as with probity as football leaders in this country.”
The lawyer vowed to seek legal recourse if Mutasa and his association do not retract the statement.
Rubaya further said what ZIFA did is equal to cyberbullying and harassment, which is now an offense under the Data Protection Act.
“In the event that you fail to retract the defamatory statement as demanded, our client shall proceed to issue summons and claim damages for defamation in the tune of US$1,000,000 without any further notice to you,” the letter reads.
Ultimately though, and away from politics, the Heart Stadium, along with all other stadiums in Zimbabwe, does not meet CAF standards. Significant upgrades are needed to ensure these venues can host international matches, allowing Zimbabwean teams to play their home games in Zimbabwe instead of abroad.
