HARARE - ZPC Kariba’s participation in the 2014 Premier Soccer League (PSL) is hanging in the balance after government reportedly barred the power company from putting money into football in the wake of the country’s deepening economic crisis.
The Kariba-based club, which was promoted into the PSL from division one at the end of last year, is financed by the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a parastatal responsible for supplying energy and related services in the region.
With Zimbabwe reeling under a biting liquidity crunch, government has of late taken desperate measures to contain the existing financial crisis, and only this week salary caps were imposed on top-earning CEOs of parastatals and public companies.
Sports has not been spared by the latest blitz, with the Dzikamai Mavhaire-led Ministry of Energy reportedly advising ZPC to pull the plug on the team’s sponsorship.
“The Ministry has advised the company that government has shifted priorities and funding the club is not one of them,” a source said yesterday.
The Daily News can also reveal that club management wrote to PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele last month with a request to submit their club registration forms for the season later than the February 28 deadline.
The request was granted, and the club was asked to register by last Monday. After failing to register on Monday, they requested a further extension, which was again granted until tomorrow.
The league’s CEO Kenny Ndebele yesterday confirmed tomorrow’s deadline, adding that no further extension will be granted after that.
Failure to register tomorrow will have serious consequences such as expulsion from the top-flight league.
The deadline for submission of the clubs’ squads is March 26, meaning if ZPC Kariba fail to take their PSL place, their players will have to find other teams in six days.
ZPC Kariba PR Officer Fadzai Chisvepo said yesterday:
“We are still to register due to some modalities that we are still working out. When something is new there are always things you need to sort out first. So we will only be able to advice you on Friday on our next step. But overall, we are looking forward to be part of the PSL this season.”