The ZIFA Central Region Division One Soccer League clubs are yet to receive their prize money from last season after the league sponsor failed to honor their contractual obligation.
Ruvimbo Funeral Assurances Private Limited in January last year announced that they had signed a three year sponsorship deal in which the funeral service company committed to pour $25 000 every season to the league for the duration of the contract.
However, it has emerged that the company did not remit a single cent to the league when the season ended in November last year.
Consequently, clubs including winners TelOne are yet to receive their prize money for participating in the league last season.
TelOne were set to receive $7500 for winning the title.
The WiFi Boys have already played eleven games in the top flight.
A new season has also started in the Central Region league without all the clubs receiving their dues from last term.
The delay has seen clubs escalating the issue with ZIFA.
- Division One clubs cry foul over sponsorship deal
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The association has written to the league demanding an explanation.
Zifa Central Region Division One Soccer League administrator Gift Nyapomwe, in response to ZIFA, confirmed they are yet to receive the sponsorship package from Ruvimbo.
"Please be advised that the region has a three year sponsorship deal with Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance Private Limited, worth $25 000, per year," read part of the letter by Nyapomwe dated 30 April 2024.
"The sponsor could not remit the sponsorship fees by end of year 2023 as had been contractually agreed, citing cash flow challenges brought by economic volatility in the country. Instead, the sponsor wrote a letter to the region committing to remit the sponsorship fees in a staggered manner between March and June 2024. However, to date the sponsor has not yet remitted anything to the region, but through the engagement happening between the region and the sponsor, the sponsor continues to give assurance that the funds are being mobilised and will be remitted soon. Note that the region has not paid any prize monies to all our member clubs that participated in the 2023 season due to delay in receiving the money from the sponsor. The region is continually engaging the sponsor to resolve the issue as soon as possible and is committed to all member clubs once it receives the money from the sponsor."
Efforts to get a comment from Ruvimbo yesterday were fruitless.
