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Andrew Langa

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE chairperson of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Council of Ministers Andrew Langa has described attempts by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) to claim exclusive rights and ownership of the African Games as disrespectful and arrogant. Langa, who is the Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, was responding to a letter written by Anoca president General Palenfo to the African Union (AU) outlining a number of demands as conditions for the Olympic movement to be involved with the African Games.

One of Anoca’s demands is that it should have exclusive ownership of the African Games and that the AU logo and flag should not be used during the games as they are political symbols. Presenting a paper to a Specialised Technical Committee of Ministers of Youth, Culture and Sport meeting in Congo, Brazzaville on Thursday, Minister Langa said not even the qualification for the Olympic Games can sway the African Sports Ministers to sell their birthright.

He said the African renaissance that started in 1963 through the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) sought to liberate people from cultural, economic and political bondage. Lives and limbs were sacrificed for the liberation of the African people and Langa said through their gallant struggles, the freedom fighters rid Africa of colonialism and delivered the freedom enjoyed today.

“Sport played a pivotal role during this struggle under the auspices and ambit of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. The continent was divided into seven Sports Development Zones with a clear mandate of ensuring that member states spearheaded sporting programmes and activities that promoted unity, solidarity and Pan-Africanism among our youth,” said Langa.

“Governments therefore were and remain duty bound to invest in human and infrastructural development in order to advance the African youths through sport. To date, our governments continue to set aside massive resources in their budgets even under constricted fiscal space. “We therefore reject and condemn with the utmost contempt, any machinations intended or unintended, by Anoca that seek to reverse the gains of our African renaissance and strongly uphold the decision by our African structures that the African Games will and shall remain owned by member states,” he said.

Langa said the ministers wished to put it on record that they regarded and took great exception to the tone and behaviour with which Anoca addressed the AU and Council of Ministers. He dismissed claims by Anoca that they could grant the African Games Olympic qualification status saying the appropriate bodies were the Association of African Confederations of Sport (AACS) and their International Federations.

The position presented by AUSC Region 5 Ministers of Sport represented by Langa as chairman carried the day and was adopted as the African Ministers’ position. The position was subsequently adopted by the Bureau of the Specialised Technical Committee of Ministers of Youth, Sport, and Culture that met soon after the gathering of the African Ministers of Sport.