FIFA slammed five-year ban and $20,300 fine on the former secretary general of the Zimbabwean referees’ committee guilty of engaging in actions described by the world football governing body as absolutely inappropriate and an abuse of office
The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has banned a Zimbabwe former Football Association official, Obert Zhoya, for five years for sexually harassing three female referees.
FIFA also slammed $20,300 fine on the former secretary general of the Zimbabwean referees’ committee guilty of engaging in actions described by the world football governing body as absolutely inappropriate and an abuse of office.
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As gathered, Zhoya’s suspension starts immediately, and he would be notified by the football body of its decision within the next 60 days.
The former official’s suspension was announced by FIFA through a statement released on its official website, stating the outcome of the investigations carried out on the former officials.
Zhoya’s banned from global football by FIFA came barely six months after the country’s football body was suspended due to governmental interference in the running of the game.
“Upon careful analysis of the written statements of the victims as well as the various evidence collected during the investigations conducted, the adjudicatory chamber was comfortably satisfied that Zhoya had breached [three articles of] the code of ethics”.
That sanction came after the Zimbabwean board was suspended by the country’s government-appointed Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) in November last year.
Alleged sexual harassment of referees was one of the SRC’s chief reasons for suspending the Zifa board, and the case against Zhoya is the first to be decided.
Two of the alleged victims, both referees, officially registered their complaints with the Zifa board and the allegations were also sent to Fifa, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA).
It was not until the alleged victims reported the claims to police, in December 2021, that a formal investigation was launched.
“Fifa has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football and the ethics committee handles all such cases in line with the code of ethics, taking into account the specificity of each,” FIFA’s statement added.
