Zimpapers Logo

Tirivashe Nheweyembwa

Ellina Mhlanga Harare Bureau
TEN national sport associations are expected to appear before the Sports Commission Board Disciplinary Committee on Friday for failing to comply with the provisions of the commission’s Act, mainly section 29(8) and (9).

The Sports Commission’s Act, section 29(8) says that “every registered national association shall as soon as practicable after the end of its financial year submit to the commission —

(a) A report on its activities during the previous year; and

(b) An audited balance sheet and income and expenditure account for that year.”

And item 9 of the same section states that “every registered national association shall, as early as convenient before the commencement of its financial year, submit to the commission its estimates of income and expenditure for the coming year and shall likewise submit any amendments to such estimates.”

The national sport associations, which will appear before the Sports Commission Board Disciplinary Committee are: Zimbabwe Handball Federation, Zimbabwe Netball Association, Zimbabwe Boxing Federation, Zimbabwe Professional Golfers Association, Zimbabwe Sailing Association, Zimbabwe Billiards and Snooker Association, Zimbabwe Wushu Federation, Zimbabwe Taekwondo Association, Zimbabwe Judo Federation and Zimbabwe Table Tennis Association.

The disciplinary hearings will be chaired by Sports Commission board member commissioner, Aisha Tsimba, and will be assisted by Commissioners Dave Ellman-Brown and Miriam Mushayi.

Sports Commission corporate communications officer, Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, said they have tried to engage the 10 associations without success hence the move to go for disciplinary hearings as the last resort.

“Disciplinary measures against the national sport associations are the measure of the last resort having engaged them without success and going forward the SRC will continue to enforce compliance with the SRC Act as a way of encouraging good corporate governance within the national sport associations.

“One of the key challenges that our sport is facing is lack of investment, this is as a result of, among other reasons, poor corporate governance.

“We therefore implore on the leadership of the national sport associations to comply with their constitutions and the provisions of the SRC Act so that they may attract meaningful investment in their sport codes,” said Nheweyembwa.

Nheweyembwa said the move by the country’s supreme sports body is meant to ensure that sport is transformed and is well run for the purposes of making it a key economic driver and this is only possible if it adheres to the good tenets of corporate governance which is the backbone of any organisation.