Chingoka quits as Zimbabwe Cricket boss

News

Cricket365
July 25, 2014

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka has quit his post in the wake of recent financial controversies, and the job will be held in the interim by vice-chairman Wilson Manase.

ZC confirmed on Thursday that 60-year-old Chingoka, who had been the chairman since 1992 aside from a break between 2005 and 2011, had given up the job, though no concrete reasons were given.

The six-year gap that Chingoka was out of the job was due to player strikes in 2005, with the players refusing to train until he was removed. He was given the job again in 2011, though unrest continued.

The most recent controversy, aside from regular player strikes about salaries, surrounded the $6 million load ZC got from the ICC, which was then supposedly channeled to one of the country's biggest banks, Metbank.

The Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Chairman, Mr Peter Farai Chingoka retired as the Board Chairman and as a Board member on his own accord at the ZC Board meeting of the 24th of July 2014," read a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket.

"In his parting remarks he indicated that his decision was based on the need to have a well defined succession plan in which it had been agreed that a year before his term he would step down and assist the incoming Chairman. He will therefore impart his knowledge based on experience both locally and on the international scene and at times undertake missions assigned by the Board upon request.

"The Board immediately appointed Mr Wilson Tatenda Manase as Chairman who has been Vice Chairman for the past 4 years and Mrs Maureen Kuchocha, a Sports degree graduate and administrator as Vice Chairperson. This is in recognition of the steps taken in Women's Cricket and the need for gender balance."

Chingoka and Manase are both board members with the bank, prompting accusations of misuse of the funds, but Chingoka responded that ZC owed the bank most of the money, and it was simply a repayment of debts.