Boxing board appointment soon — Ministry

Gilbert Munetsi-Boxing Correspondent

THE Ministry of Sport, Youth, Arts and Recreation is cognisant of the challenges emanating from the absence of a boxing board of control and is currently seized with the task of appointing one in the very near future. 

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Thokozile Chitepo, told The Herald there were a few ends yet to be tied up, and promised the matter would have been concluded within the next few weeks. 

There have been concerns over the matter, with stakeholders bemoaning the delay by the Ministry to appoint new commissioners following the lapse of the term of office of the last board in 2020.

This, they argued, resulted in a void that made it difficult to execute policy roles in accordance with the Boxing and Wrestling Act, Chapter 76 of 1956. Boxing is the sole sport that is governed by an Act of Parliament. 

“It’s going to happen very soon because the processes have already begun. It is a priority for us . . . I don’t know, but I hope that in the next month or so we should have appointed a board. 

“There are one or two things that are delaying, but we certainly have put all key processes in place. 

“We’re very, very much aware that the absence of a board has constrained some of the decisions. Definitely, we’re really hoping that in the next few weeks everything regards that should have been concluded,” Chitepo said. 

Meanwhile, plans are afoot for a stakeholders’ meeting to be convened soon, which is aimed at tackling challenges facing the sport while charting the way forward. 

Sources said the first meeting, to involve managers and promoters, would introspect on the  myriad of obstacles, chief among them the delays faced by boxers in having their records updated and their conditions in general. 

“Hopefully, we are all in this together. Damage has been done, grievances heard, but not on a formal platform. 

“With due respect, we think the general secretary and his team have foresight of what we expect and pray something tangible comes out of this indaba. 

“At hand we have the burning issue of boxrec (official site for boxers’ records) and secondly the question of whether there is a promoter who can meet the prescribed requirements to host a tournament,” said Edmos Takawira, a boxer-turned-manager. 

But the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board general secretary, Lawrence Zimbudzana, on Wednesday last week defended his office’s position for having come up with the raft of measures, saying: “These are standard requirements as per the existing regulations. I believe anyone serious with boxing promotion does not seek answers from a WhatsApp group but from the office. 

“You will realise that the bulk of the people on that group may have never promoted any event and don’t even intend to. Those who seriously want to promote (boxing) have already complied and those who need clarity should approach the office and not seek to sensationalise things.”