WINDHOEK – For the first time since the identity theft saga between demoted Gobabis outfit Young African FC, the Namibia Premier League (NPL) and Zimbabwean import Tapiwa Simon Musekiwa started, it only came yesterday to the public’s attention that Musekiwa – who falsified his identity documents in order to play for African last season – has already served his 7-match ban for the crime committed.

The league’s Disciplinary Committee recently found Young African guilty on two counts of fraud, with both counts related to the use and registration of Musekiwa with false identity documents, which the Disciplinary Committee feels was deliberate and preplanned.

Resultantly, the club was last week relegated from the country’s topflight football and was additionally slapped with a combined fine of N$50 000 for both counts of guilt. But it had appeared as if Musekiwa was let off the hook by the league as no charges or punishment against him were communicated by the NPL.

Local football experts and various stakeholders were afloat with questions as to why did the league’s Disciplinary Committee only choose to take action against one party, which is the club, and let Musekiwa off the hook without facing any disciplinary hearing.

But at yesterday’s lengthy press conference at Football House in the capital, NPL chairman Patrick Kauta informed the media and those in attendance that Musekiwa had in fact already served his 7-match ban as provided for in the NPL constitution.
Asked why the media and the public were never informed of Musekiwa’s 7-match suspension but only that of African was communicated, Kauta said he “was surprised as to why Musekiwa’s suspension was not communicated to the media because he thought the media already picked up this information from the league’s secretariat”.

As it currently stands, Musekiwa is now a free man and qualifies to play in the NPL as he has already served his punishment, while African, according to Kauta, will be demoted to the lower ranks as per the league’s Disciplinary Committee’s resolution.  
Further asked why the league did not go ahead and open a case of identity theft by Musekiwa with the relevant authorities, Kauta said that is not the league’s job to do as their jurisdiction is limited to running premiership football and not deal with police cases, but however urged anyone concerned to go ahead and open a case against Musekiwa.