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Makhosini Hlongwane

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
SPORT and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane is this morning scheduled to officially launch the Community Sport and Recreation Club system at Nyamandlovu Primary School in Umguza district in line with the recently adopted National Sport and Recreation Policy.

This follows the launch of the Community Sport Development Programme in Zvishavane in 2008, which, however, had weaknesses, and today’s launch of the more comprehensive Community Sport and Recreation Club system provides a bedrock for implementation of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games and Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games.

This year’s Zimbabwe National Youth Games have been rebranded and will have 22 sport codes.

Tertiary, vocational institutions and the uniformed forces will also take part in this year’s games in addition to the 10 provinces of Under-18 athletes.

“The Community Sport and Recreation Club Systems will be launched for the first time on Friday (today). Yes, it borrows some strengths from CSDP and it tries to improve weaknesses or challenges experienced in the implementation of CSDP. The CSDP was a pilot project which had its share of strengths and weaknesses but it catapulted the existence and implementation of the Community Sport and Recreation Club system.

“This is a broader and comprehensive approach to provide the basis for implementation of Sport and Recreation at community levels and provide a bedrock for implementation of the Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games,” said Sports and Recreation Commission acting director-general Joseph Muchechetere.

Today’s launch comes after an announcement by Hlongwane that every school in the country will be accredited as a multi-sport code club.

“We are going to accredit each and every school as a multi-sport code club because that is exactly what it is. The team here is going to be working with you on a template of how to accredit these schools as well universities and tertiary institutions, including our barracks and (police) camps because we have another strategy of wellness and physical fitness for the country,” Hlongwane during the official launch of the 2017 Zimbabwe National Youth Games general assembly at a Bulawayo hotel on Wednesday. — @skhumoyo2000