Historic engagement marks turning point in relations between football authorities and media
HARARE, Zimbabwe – The Sports Writers Association of Zimbabwe (SWAZ) has hailed a workshop hosted by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) at the ZIFA Village in Mt Hampden in Harare as an important step toward rebuilding trust, strengthening transparency, and improving relations between football authorities and the media.
The one-day session brought together football administrators and journalists to deepen understanding of ZIFA’s structures, operations, and strategic priorities. A second workshop for about 35 sports journalists is scheduled for Bulawayo on Wednesday to cover the southern region.
“The media are vital partners in the football ecosystem. They inform, educate and inspire the nation through their coverage, and as ZIFA, we value that role immensely. This workshop represents an opportunity to strengthen trust and understanding, to share insights into how we operate, and to explore how we can collectively promote football development in Zimbabwe.”
— Kudzai Kadzombe, ZIFA Executive Committee Member
ZIFA officials in attendance included Executive Committee Member and Chairperson of the Marketing Committee Kudzai Kadzombe, ZIFA Head of Technical Dominique Niyozima, ZIFA Head of Commercial Mark Ruck, and former referee Norman Matemera.
Key Areas Covered in the Workshop:
- ZIFA’s organizational structure and governance reforms
- Laws of the game and technical pathways
- Coaching education and grassroots development
- Commercial partnerships and media support
- Women’s football development initiatives
- Published audited financial statements
Kadzombe outlined the Association’s reforms since the election of President Nqobile Magwizi, emphasizing that ZIFA has made major progress in governance, transparency and accountability. The technical and commercial departments led sessions detailing coaching education, grassroots work, player-coach pathways, and new commercial partnerships.
“We appreciate this engagement because it removes barriers that have slowed football reporting in recent years. Journalists can only serve the public when information flows freely. What we want is consistency. Dialogue must not depend on crisis or convenience.”
— Farayi Machamire, SWAZ Chairman
SWAZ Chairman Farayi Machamire welcomed ZIFA’s openness and stressed that constructive journalism requires institutionalized access, not one-off sessions. The workshop allowed journalists to raise challenges including limited access to technical information and inconsistent availability of ZIFA officials.
Both parties agreed to work toward a more predictable communication framework. SWAZ said it will soon propose a structured ZIFA–SWAZ liaison mechanism to sustain the momentum created at the Harare meeting.
Kadzombe closed the session by emphasizing unity: “Football belongs to everyone. Our progress as a nation depends on collective effort – administrators, coaches, players, sponsors, fans, and the media – all pulling in the same direction. Together, we can tell the story of Zimbabwean football with pride, truth, and hope.”