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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
SPORT and Recreation Minister, Makhosini Hlongwane, has indicated that there is going to be a turnaround in the way women’s football is run and treated in the country.
Speaking to The Herald on Monday after a meeting with the Sports Commission, ZIFA and Zimbabwe Women’s Football to look into the state of women’s football, Hlongwane said they had agreed on a number of issues that will help pave way for the development of women’s football.
“One of the decisions that we took is that ZIFA must treat women’s football in the same way that it treats male or men’s football,” said Hlongwane.
“That means in terms of support provided to women’s football, and men’s football, there must be equitability because women’s football is not yet that developed.
“Equitable distribution means you work a percentage based on the representation, so it’s fair. So there must be equitable resource distribution to both women and men.
“We agreed that should apply in terms of logistical support and resource mobilisation.
“We agreed that women’s football structures themselves should necessarily have a resource mobilisation strategy instead of always going around with a begging bowl. They must necessarily have a resource mobilisation strategy of their own.
“They must have an account which is liquid, which is function of the ability to resource mobilise.”
Hlongwane said he is going to engage Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora, to introduce women’s football in all schools throughout the country.
“This is important in order to change the attitudes but also to develop and identify more talent of female footballers in order to strengthen our national teams.
“In the new curriculum of education, as Government, we have agreed that sport should be mainstreamed into the education curriculum.
“Secondary to that, we also agreed that the Universities and Colleges must all introduce women’s football starting next year,” said Hlongwane.
The Minister said the current squabbles within the women’s football structures are a hindrance to the development of the sport.
The squabbles have seen two leagues being run with acting ZWF chairperson Elizabeth Langa leading the other league while the other one is running under Miriam Sibanda.
“We agreed that we need one league for women’s football. We want one league as a way of stabilising women’s football, we don’t want other leagues, parallel structures,” said Hlongwane.
Hlongwane said they have tasked the Sports Commission with the responsibility to resolve the impasse within the women’s football board so that there is tranquillity within the leadership.
Sports Commission director general Charles Nhemachena yesterday said they were coming in to ensure that there is development in women’s football.
“It was observed that there were two leagues running and that this was not good for women’s football and there was urgent need to make sure they consolidated into one league. And there will be continued dialogue including the Sports Commission, ZIFA and women’s football to ensure that the issue is resolved.
“The issue of whether or not the suspensions against Miriam Sibanda and two other colleagues were still valid, it was noted that the constitution is not clear on the way forward given the fact that women’s football don’t have a constitution.
“They were talking of a draft which is as good as having nothing, which brought the question of how they were able to suspend them and they indicated that they used the main constitution, the ZIFA constitution, and they use it when it suits them.
“So that is a grey area in terms of governance which has to be resolved quickly.
“So we have asked for a legal opinion from the ZIFA lawyer. We are expecting the legal opinion during the course of the week,” said Nhemachena.
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