Zimpapers Logo

Mr Edward Siwela

Ellina Mhlanga, Harare Bureau
THE Sports and Recreation Commission are expected to resume their search for a substantive director-general next year after suspending the process last month.

Since Charles Nhemachena’s retirement early year, the Sports Commission have been operating under an acting director-general Joseph Muchechetere.

The supreme sports body were supposed to conduct interviews last month but they could not take place as scheduled.

Sports Commission board chairman Edward Siwela said they would now resume the process at the beginning of the year.

“We have not finalised the issue of the director-general, there were developments that distracted the exercise. So we have not finalised.

“We will be attending to it but we had to suspend the process…they (interviews) did not take place.

“There were developments that actually put us on hold. For instance you will be aware of political developments in the country at the time. For instance the very day that we were supposed to conduct interviews, was the day when people were marching. So to be oblivious on those developments would not really help the cause.

“I even need to acknowledge that we have a new minister who has just come in and so forth. So we can’t proceed like nothing is happening, there are no changes. So we have to accommodate all those developments in order for us to actually proceed and finalise the process.

“We should resume really at the start of the year. I cannot give you the exact dates but it will be January,” said Siwela.

The post was initially advised in April, followed by interviews in May but could not yield results when the shortlisted candidates failed to meet the supreme sports body’s expectations.

There have been reports of late suggesting the first interview came up with a suitable candidate, approved by the board but was rejected by former Minister Makhosini Hlongwane.

Siwela however dismissed insinuations that the there had been a successful candidate from the initial interviews arguing that success only came as a result of the entire recruitment procedure being fulfilled in line with the SRC Act.

According to the Sport and Recreation Commission Act section 24 (1):

The Board shall appoint, subject to this Act and on such terms and conditions as the Board, with the approval of the Minister, may fix, a person approved by the Minister to be the director-general.

“The point is the process of appointing a director-general in terms of the Sports and Recreation Commission’s Act, it’s a two-tier arrangement. The SRC board must conduct interviews, they must undertake some selection process and then make their recommendations to a minister. And it is with the approval of the minister that a candidate is appointed.

“No person was appointed which means no person was successful. We complicate things  sometimes when the law is very clear. If you say that there must be approval for there to be an appointment and there is no approval then there is no appointment.

“So I don’t think it will be accurate or even for that matter helpful to say there is a successful candidate. How do they become successful? Because you have to look at the whole chain in terms of the selection process,” said Siwela.