CONGRATULATIONS are in order to Honourable Makhosini Hlongwane on his appointment as Minister of Sports and Recreation, taking over from Andrew Langa. Langa left the Sports Ministry after serving for two years and seven days, having been appointed on July 10 by President Robert Mugabe. Borrowing the much fancied four words that most love – HIT THE GROUND RUNNING — Minister Hlongwane is expected to clean the image of the sports industry, formulate and implement programmes that are in line with the economic blueprint Zim-Asset.
Sport is a major component of Zim-Asset which was crafted to achieve sustainable development and social equity anchored on indigenisation, empowerment and employment creation which will be largely propelled by the judicious exploitation of the country’s abundant human and natural resources.
Reported cases of maladministration at sporting organisations, particularly at Zifa have scared away potential sponsors.
Minister Hlongwane’s predecessor was accused of treating Zifa with child’s gloves, after failing to decisively deal with the football mother body’s head Cuthbert Dube who made history by getting the country banned from participating at the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers because of his bungling.
Zimbabwe will be spectators when the entire universe starts Fifa World Cup qualifiers after being left out because of the $81,000 debt owed to former national team coach José Claudinei Georgini, popularly known as Valinhos.
Initially the debt owed to the coach stood at $67,000, but has ballooned to $81,000 due to legal costs.
Dube and his PA (Jonathan Mashingaidze), lied to the nation, took for granted the football-loving nation by making public declarations that that Zifa had the Valinhos matter covered and that the Warriors were going to participate at the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Oops, that wasn’t the case and we were left in the cold. Former Zifa chairman Vincent Pamire accused the FA and the Sports Ministry of taking the nation for a ride, promising to sort out the mess knowing fully that they had no clue as to how they were going to address the matter.
The former Zifa chairman who led Zimbabwe to their maiden Afcon finals held in Tunisia in 2004 said the national football mother body has shamed the nation with the Sports Ministry under Langa silent.
“It’s a pity and very painful to be expelled from participating at the ultimate competition. Zifa has shamed the nation together with these people from the Sports and Recreation Commission who did nothing when things were getting worse over the years. Zifa and SRC have destroyed everything,” Pamire was quoted.
“Actually what Zifa and SRC bosses, the Sports Ministry have done is to work against the economic blueprint Zim-Asset that spells out about the people’s need which includes sport. Zim-Asset seeks to create empowerment and eradicate poverty. Look, most of these boys have chosen soccer as a profession so that they earn a living through it but where will they showcase their talent if the country is banned from the Fifa World Cup?
Where will they earn the much needed national team caps so that they move to better remunerating European leagues?”
True, many footballers dream of playing in better remunerating leagues.
Did Dube and Mashingaidze ever think of the careers that they’ve ruined?
Besides getting us banned, Zifa have gone for years without publishing audited financials, even though they claim their books are in order.
The embattled organisation was at pains last week, trying to explain “cooked-up” income and expenditure statement for the 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea.
Zifa board member Fungai Chihuri is alleged to have “handsomely” paid himself and fellow board members $1,000 each.Things took a twist during the week when Bulawayo based lawyer Tavengwa Hara, a member of the board refuted claims that he was paid $1,000 instead saying he got $400.
Surely, with such scandals, who can invest in Zifa?
Minister Hlongwane should deal with the Zifa madness once and for all. Only when there is a Zifa leadership that adheres to corporate governance values will we see sponsors coming in to partner football.
It will be refreshing to see the minister taking to task the SRC for their failure to reign in on other underperforming associations.
Minister Hlongwane is in China on official government business but when he comes back this weekend and starts work on Monday, he must and he should HIT THE GROUND RUNNING!