adminNgqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
THE involvement of former Zimbabwe National Boxing Control Board member Patrick Mukondiwa in the affairs of the new board is reportedly sowing seeds of divisions in the new structure.
Mukondiwa was the secretary-general of the previous establishment but was invited to a meeting of the new board under unclear circumstances while he also signed a letter on behalf of chairman, Douglas Hondo early last month, much to the chagrin of other board members.
The letter, a copy of which is in possession of Sunday News, dated 1 February 2017 was in response to a request by Delta Force Boxing Promotions requesting permission to hold a boxing tournament as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
A ZNBCB board member, who requested anonymity, said they were shocked to see Mukondiwa’s signature on the letter although the undersigned is Hondo.
Board members reportedly objected to the presence of Mukondiwa, who is also a boxing judge, during the first meeting held early last month questioning his presence as he was not part of the new structure.
“Mukondiwa came in and took a seat together with other board members and Hondo told the meeting that he had been co-opted but other members questioned how he was co-opted without the knowledge of the other board members and Mukondiwa had to leave the room.
“We were again shocked to see him sign the letter on behalf of Hondo leading us to question his involvement in the operations of the board.
“It gives us the impression that Hondo could be trying to force Mukondiwa into the board because we do not understand why he keeps appearing when he is no longer part of the board,” said a board member.
However, Hondo said there was nothing sinister by Mukondiwa’s involvement saying the latter’s presence at the board meeting was meant to allow a handover process from the former board.
He said Mukondiwa was involved in the letter to Delta Force because the promoters had initiated communication with the former board in relation to hosting the boxing tourney, although contents of the letter show that the Clyde Musonda-led promoters only wrote to the board on 18 January requesting permission to hold the tournament on 18 April.
Sports and Recreation minister, Makhosini Hlongwane appointed the Hondo-led board on 13 January and other members are Zenzo Nsimbi, Sipho Helen M’nyamana-Rutsate, Mordicai Donga, Thomas Kambuya and Ms Stella Motsi.
“We wanted to do a handover-takeover process with the old board and that is why I invited Mukondiwa to attend. We were hoping to get any stuff that the previous board might have that would have assisted us chart the way forward. Delta Force’s initial communication was with the old board so I felt Mukondiwa should be the one writing to them,” said Hondo, but could not explain why they could not take over the process as the new board.
He said the minister was the only one with the authority to co-opt board members and Hlongwane had already indicated that four more board members would be announced in due course.
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