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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

THE Association of Fitness Facility Owners of Zimbabwe, which has a membership of over 25 gyms around the country, has torn into the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), attacking it for being authoritarian and possessing poor communication skills.

In a strongly worded letter to the SRC director-general Prince Mupazviriho, the association questioned the basis for the country’s supreme sports body to demand that privately owned fitness centres register with the SRC and the legal basis of ordering some of its members to shut down on allegations of flouting stipulated conditions for reopening under provisions of Statutory Instrument 200 of 2020, in particular registration with the SRC.

The association met to discuss the requirement for fitness facilities to register and wat it termed confusion over the required registration and annual licensing fees and letters sent by SRC to certain fitness facilities to shut down citing non-compliance with the Public Health SI 200 (2020) for non-registration.

“All facility owners were very appreciative of the efforts of the Minister of Sport and the SRC earlier in the year in adopting and supporting our initiative of providing a framework for operating within ‘low risk’ parameters which thus far all facilities have effectively been doing. Our affiliate fitness facility owners, representing a heterogenous group of facilities, are not averse to the concept of formally aligning with the SRC.

“We note that the subject of registration only became a stated requirement in the SRC’s letter to fitness facilities on 26 June 2020 authorising facilities to open, in terms of Covid-19 legislation, as low-risk entities, but making it conditional upon registration with the SRC. As an industry we have found dealings with the SRC thus far to have been somewhat authoritarian and often conflicting in terms of information. The consensus opinion in our association is to adopt a ‘solution orientated’ approach going forward which can only be achieved through reasoned discussion of issues and agreement reached. We therefore seek clarification from the SRC on certain key points in order to move forward,” reads the association’s letter.

It was in the interest of the sector, the association said, for SRC to clarify, as a matter of urgency, the legal basis compelling privately owned fitness facilities to register, pay registration fees and annual licensing fees, the basis for amounts to be paid and instructing certain private fitness facilities to close down.

The association also sought to be apprised on what benefits accrue to fitness facilities for registering with the SRC and what measures are being taken to seek government approval to relax operating hours and the use of showers in light of recognition by SRC of the non-viability of fitness facilities under the current operating conditions.

“Since the establishment of the SRC Act in 1991 and the Act prior to that, there has never been any stated requirement for privately owned commercial fitness facilities to register with the SRC. This was first introduced by the SRC on June 28, 2020. We can find no reference to privately owned fitness facilities within the legislation as inferred by the SRC letter. The SRC registration form SRC 3 as found in SRC Gen Regs 1995 page 1994 applies only to national association, club or local authority as stated in Section 3 of the form.

“It appears that the SRC form for registration provided to fitness facilities has been adapted for private fitness facilities. We specifically object to the sections which require private fitness facilities to provide information, which, as private limited companies, is confidential and/or unnecessary. We refer to requests for details of client information, title deeds or lease details, constitutive documents,” reads the letter.

The association said it was perplexed by the SRC’s shutting down of some gyms under SI 200 of 2020 when the quoted legislation does not contain any reference to registration of fitness facilities by the SRC, but instead it granted authority to reopen by the Ministry of Sport through the SRC and to be compliant with anti-Covid-19 measures.

“There is no provision in the SI 200 (2020) for the SRC to close down a private commercial gym facility for non-registration with SRC and given the current environment this is particularly draconian.”

It also accused the SRC of treating some fitness clubs differently, claiming that Grip Gym at the Country Club in Harare has been flouting regulations with impunity and never closed its facility during the compulsory lockdown from end of March, yet it was sanctioned for its actions.

“This facility did not close during the compulsory lockdown from April – June and was not in any way held to account, and it continues to operate outside the (non-viable) hours, which all our affiliate fitness facilities have been lawfully observing. We attach supporting evidence of this to this email. This does not impress if the SRC is to be judged by its effectiveness in monitoring compliance in this regard,” the association wrote.

Association of Fitness Facility Owners of Zimbabwe membership

Harare: Total Fitness, Profitness Health Club, Empire Gym, Triton360, Innovate Sport & Health, Body Active, Kyma Fitness, MiGYm, ACT

Dynamics, Primal Fitness, Sweatnation Fitness, The Yard, Fitness Planet, Oxygen Fitness Centre, Shredded EnerGYM, Eve’s Wellness Boutique, Scorpion Gym, Nu-Aquarius Gym, Xtreme Fitness, Fitness First, Curves, Shape Your Shassy Gym, Fitness For Her Zimbabwe

Bulawayo: ProActive Gym, Body Works Gym

Mutare: Body Active