THE death of founder Eddie Mboma Nyatanga has left the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association (ZNSSA) house burning with battles for power but chairman Chama Mushamaidze is trying to cool down the fire by appealing for the warring parties to come and work together for the benefit and future of the association.
Two factions, one led by Adomso Mukwasi and another by Matthias Kufandirimbwa are both claiming leadership of the association contending that it was Mboma, who handed them the baton to lead the grouping sometime back and not the Mushamaidze leadership.
Mukwasi is claiming that he is the true leader of the ZNSSA having been appointed by Nyatanga at a meeting held a few years ago.
"I am the president and leader of the ZNSSA.
"We were appointed a few years ago and some have since passed on while others no longer want to have anything to do with football. I am taking my rightful position and have drafted my plan of action for the past few years," said Mukwasi.
However, Mushamaidze says he is the rightful heir after being handed over the reins by the late Nyatanga at a hugely attended ceremony in Harare in 2019 and has been the bona-fide leader of the ZNSSA since then.
"There was a launch in April, 2019, at a joint event in Harare where my executive was appointed and sworn in. Mboma said he was now old to be still running around with football supporters' matters and asked us to lead and to be united in driving our goals," reveals Mushamaidze.
Mushamaidze says he was appointed along with secretary general Joseph Mutawu, treasurer, Elvis Sizara, organising secretary Wonder Gombera with Emson Mandizvidza, Chris Romario Musekiwa, and Richard Sande, being also part of the executive.
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Bulls to charge into Zimbabwe gold stocks
- Ndiraya concerned as goals dry up
- Letters: How solar power is transforming African farms
Keep Reading
The soft-spoken Mushamaidze said their efforts to set up structures in all the four corners of the country were stalled by the advent of Covid 19 while efforts to register the association with Zifa were met with resistance by the previous Zifa Board led by Felton Kamambo.
He, however, says he has seen light on the future of the ZNSSA with the Lincoln Mutasa-led Zifa Normalisation Committee.
"We have had fruitful discussions with the NC and are happy with where we are right now. Our focus is to build a huge membership base and then register ourselves with Zifa," said Mushamaidze.
Mushamaidze, however, will also have to deal with the issue of Kufandirimbwa, the association's spokesperson in 2003, who also claims that he was given the leading role to re-organise the association by the late ZNSSA life vice -president.
"At the moment, I am the one leading the proceedings. I don’t want to be the president of the association, but the president will come from what we want to do. We have invited the few remaining early members of the ZNSSA including myself into a new ZNSSA assembly. We are going to ask all the PSL teams to contribute two members each and all first division teams one member into this assembly. It is this group that will then elect the national executive. Such a programme covers almost everyone," said Kufandirimbwa.
Mushamaidze, however, is more diplomatic insisting that there is no need for this infighting, asking all to come together and sit down and work out on the way forward for the future of the ZNSSA.
"We want a meeting with everyone including those who think they have been left out or those who are disgruntled so that we agree on a path that will build a strong ZNSSA. This is not war, but football and united, we can build a much stronger ZNSSA," said Mushamaidze.
The ZNSSA which is known for its support for the Warriors has a hectic period in which the Zimbabwean teams play in the 2025 Afcon Qualifiers which begin in September and will be followed by the final part of World Cup 2026.
Nyatanga, who was laid to rest at Glen Forest Cemetery Park on June 16 passed on June 11 and was followed by drama dominated by his two wives during the days of his mourning.
He formed the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters in the early 2000s along with the late Black Rhinos Football Club supremo Coleman Majaya.
Majaya gave himself the title of life president while Nyatanga was life-vice president. This meant that they were to keep their titles in their lifetime irrespective of any changes to the association.
