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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

SPORTS scribes from the Southern Region have called on authorities to hand custodial sentences on teachers and sports administrators caught engaging in age cheating during any sporting competitions in the country.

The media practitioners said age cheating was tantamount to corruption as it gave an unfair advantage to those taking part in the act, while also denying talented youngsters an opportunity to expose their skills among their age- mates.

With primary and secondary schools across the country engaged in athletics competitions, age cheating cases are the order of the day with some schools and provinces perpetually engaged in the act.

While monetary fines have been imposed on such culprits, the sanction has not been deterrent enough.

“This has been going on for too long and to send a strong message, the concerned teacher must be arrested and incarcerated,” said Muziwethu Hadebe, from radio station Star FM, who is also chairman of the Sports Journalists’ Association of Zimbabwe (Spoja-Southern Region).

Former Chronicle sports editor and veteran scribe Lovemore Dube, said there must be a deliberate move to issue every pupil with a passport from as early as Early Childhood Development (ECD) level which can provide an easier paper trail.

B-Metro’s Raymond Jaravaza called on school authorities to thoroughly investigate any reported age cheating cases instead of brushing them aside.

“When there has been proof beyond any reasonable doubt that indeed there was a case of age cheating, the responsible person must, without doubt, be arrested,” said Jaravaza.

Freelance sports journalist Jerry Zingwevu said criminalisation of age cheating was the only way that the scourge can be eradicated in the country.

“Age cheating should be criminalised with a very stiff penalty, including arrest and loss of job. Sport is a big sector in our country and if irregularities are not dealt with from a developmental stage, we will always have problems,” he said.

He said organisations such as Nash should have an independent investigations committee that follows up reported cases and follow up on trends that are suspicious.

Spoja (Southern Region) vice-chairman Fortune Mbele said taking the scientific route of determining an athlete’s age must also be considered by various sports associations and organisations.

The call by media practitioners comes hard on the heels of similar calls by the Sports and Recreation Commission and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to rid sport of age cheating and abuse of public funds.

The SRC also met the National Prosecuting Authority, which agreed to designate a special office for the prosecution of sports-related offences.