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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

IN the past few weeks, Zimbabwean sport has been hitting the headlines for what may be viewed as the wrong reasons at least by those who are uninformed.

It started with the International Cricket Council suspending Zimbabwe in what those board members in the United Kingdom said was influenced by government or political interference in the running of the local game.

Then this week, Cosafa came with their own shocking decision to ban the country from participating in the regional tournament next year after Zifa pulled out of hosting of this year’s tournament following, interestingly, failure by the Government to guarantee the competition saying the arrangement was a bad business deal.

Cosafa wanted a guarantee of US$2 million from the Government against a projected and non-guaranteed revenue of a mere US$45 000 which it hoped would have come from gate takings.

It’s important to note that Cosafa wanted the Government to provide that financial guarantee on behalf of the custodians of football in the country, which is Zifa but if the same national association was say to abuse funds from Cosafa and any other football bodies and they get to be asked to account for those funds, there would be cries of interference.

The question arises then that how sincere are these international sporting bodies by their tired mantra of Government interference in sport. Are they perhaps failing to differentiate between intervention and interference? 

Should central government sit back and fold its arms when sporting bodies abuse resources with impunity?

If Zimbabwe was to bid to host Cricket World Cup in future, it will be the same ICC who would unashamedly demand that the Government guarantees, on behalf of Zimbabwe Cricket , that the tournament will be a success, that all that is necessary to host such a tournament was in place but when the Government through its other bodies like the Sports and Recreation Commission domestically intervenes to make sure proper governance is followed so that the same ZC can and will in future bid to host the Cricket World Cup, the same ICC throws in this tired interference mantra.

No sporting body can operate outside or independent of national laws, that can never happen.  Checks and balances must be put in place by responsible bodies like in the Zimbabwean case, the SRC which was established through an Act of Parliament.

Governments must devise ways and means of confronting these international sporting bodies and demand that they explain exactly what they mean by Government interference and also differentiate between that and intervention.

Sports associations can’t live outside the jurisdiction of government and can’t be said to be immune to government advice. 

Recently Fifa president Gianni Infantino addressed Heads of State and Government.  He said in his address that the game must not be poisoned by corruption.

“We cannot afford for this beautiful game of ours to be poisoned by corruption. We have a mission to protect the integrity of our sport and Fifa reiterates its willingness to work with all of you to root corruption out of African football. By partnering with the African Union, we would also have the ability to share our expertise on matters like stadium construction and security across Africa, ensuring that stadia are properly constructed and equipped following best practice, ensuring safety of venues and fans attending sports competitions,” said Infantino.

So who can fight that corruption? Who has the powers to arrest? Does Fifa have arresting powers? If a government steps in why should it be interference when it will merely be intervening?

Corruption is not only in football but even in other sport codes so these international sport bodies must not hide behind government interference to shield their affiliates.