adminAugustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
NATIONAL Athletics of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara could be in the eye of a storm after reservations were also registered over him holding a senior post in the newly established Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture.
Tagara was elected NAAZ president in November last year, when he took over from the long-serving Joseph Mungwari.
Before his appointment as NAAZ boss, Tagara was the association’s director of coaching and talent identification and some people believe that he was Mungwari’s anointed successor.
But now Tagara is caught up in a conflict of interest as he is employed as the acting deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture while he remains the athletics’ association boss.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry, Thokozile Chitepo yesterday said her office was looking into the possible conflict of interest on Tagara.
“I have just been told of the issue last week and I should be looking into the matter. We are a new creation and still trying to establish what is going on.
“So it is something we are looking into and I have asked the relevant offices to give us clarification so that we know what’s happening before we take a position,” said Chitepo.
It is understood that the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture has since asked the Sport and Recreation Commission to give a written report over Tagara’s status.
Sources said the Sports Commission were not amused with Tagara’s continued tenure as NAAZ boss as the former national athletics coach could compromise relations between the supreme sports body and the association.
This is because NAAZ are one of the 53 national associations that are affiliated to the Sports Commission yet the Commission itself acts more like a parastatal in the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture and is the link between the government and the sports codes.
Given such a scenario, Tagara would be on one hand an affiliate to the Sports Commission through NAAZ and yet still be the supreme sports body’s boss by virtue of his position in government and this is where the conflict of interest stems from. The Sports Commission sources said Tagara should at least quit one of the posts to avoid any open clash of interests.
“How can the Sports Commission then try to whip National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe into line if they are erring when Tagara who is their president is also a senior official in the Ministry?
“Imagine if all the associations are meeting the Ministry, then it means Tagara could as well be wearing two hats.
“In one instance he could be the NAAZ leader and then he can also be the invited guest from the Ministry, which can make the situation a bit tricky,” said the sources.
It could be the same clash of interests in the relations between the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee and NAAZ amid fears that Tagara’s “undue influence’’ could compromise the way the two parties operate.
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