HARARE –Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) took down its press statement from its social media accounts on Monday, apparently due to pressure from Walter Magaya.
This action followed an attack by Walter Magaya’s Heart Group, the owners of Heart Stadium in Harare, against ZIFA normalization committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa. Mutasa had stated in a press release on Monday that Magaya’s stadium did not meet the required standards for hosting international football matches.
In response, the Heart Group, through their legal representatives, demanded a retraction from the ZIFA boss and threatened to sue for $1 million in damages, alleging defamation and misrepresentation.
The group accused Mutasa of spreading falsehoods about their stadium and suggested that he aimed to tarnish not only the stadium’s reputation but also that of Magaya, who has been linked to a top position within the football organization. ZIFA, in their statement on Monday, highlighted the absence of adequate ablution facilities and media rooms at the stadium as crucial reasons why it did not meet the necessary criteria to host international matches.
Also Read: Magaya to sue ZIFA boss for disparaging Heart Stadium
Represented by their attorney, Admire Rubaya of Rubaya and Chatambudza Attorneys, the Heart Group stated that neither Mutasa nor the association had ever visited the stadium.
They found it puzzling that the association still claimed knowledge about the facility despite not having visited it.
“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.
