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Joseph Muchechetere

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE country’s supreme sports body, the Sports and Recreation Commission has reacted to reports carried out in the media recently that it was interfering in the affairs of Zifa with a view of destabilising the running of the game in the country.

In the communiqué from the present acting director general, Daniel Kuwengwa, the Commission said it was mandated in terms of the SRC Act to ensure the proper administration of organisations undertaking the promotion of sport and recreation in the country and hence the Commission chairman Edward Siwela and the acting director general Joseph Muchechetere have not deviated from that mandate.

“The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) Board would like to refer to a report in The Herald of Friday, 20 April 2018 in which it is alleged that the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) has been interfering in the affairs of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) with a view to ‘destabilising the running of the game . . .”

The SRC Board wishes to advise that as a statutory body which was established in terms of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act [Chapter 25:15], the SRC’s mandate is clearly set out in this Act. Both the Chairman of the Board and the Acting Director General of the SRC have not departed from the SRC mandate.

It should be noted that among the objects and functions of the SRC in terms of Section 19 (b) is “to ensure the proper administration of organisations undertaking the promotion of sport and recreation.”

In this regard, the SRC is seized with the issue of the tenure of the Executive Committee of Zifa, in respect of which it has written to Zifa and received written responses. Further, both the SRC Board Chairman and the Acting Director General have engaged in conversations with the Zifa president (Philip Chiyangwa) in this regard. The information gathered will shortly be presented to the SRC Board for consideration,” read the statement released yesterday by Kuwengwa.

“The SRC Board wishes it to be noted that as a regulatory body in the area of sport and recreation, it will always be guided by the letter and spirit of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act and, in this regard, will always endeavour to act in a manner that seeks to promote adherence to good corporate governance and best practices by the organisations undertaking the promotion of sport and recreation,” read the statement.