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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
YOUTH, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Kirsty Coventry is of the opinion that the one and half year hiatus from the global family of football playing nations was worth the pain.
Zimbabwe endured more than a year of suspension from FIFA following alleged Government interference in the country’s administration of the game of football.
Zimbabwe was suspended in February 2022.
Since the suspension, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), Government’s arm responsible for regulating the sports industry in the country, became a convenient target of brickbats from all corners as critics were more concerned with avenues of progression being closed for young talent.
FIFA this week announced the lifting of the suspension and in consultation with Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the SRC, a normalisation committee has since been installed.
During a Presser hosted by SRC physically in Harare and also attended virtually on Tuesday morning, Minister Coventry said the country should never allow the rot to creep back into the football administration structures.
“I remember back then when I walked into His Excellency, President Mnangagwa’s office to brief him on the developments that were unfolding in the game of football. I explained to him the events that had led to the decision we, as Government through SRC, were about to take and the fact that it could lead to our suspension.
“I was not sure what his response would be, but he just turned and said: ‘Clean it up’. This is exactly the route we had to take, judging by the rot that had crept so deeply into football administration.
“Football has players, coaches and managers, but unfortunately everything was being done to suit the interests of the administrators. We should never allow the rot to creep back into the football administration structures,” said Coventry.
The former swimming sensation told the gathering that they are aware of the criticism that followed the suspension, but it was a hard and necessary decision.
“Soccer is our heartbeat. Many of you judged us so harshly because of the events of the past one and a half year. Sometimes, we have to take hard, but necessary decisions in order to develop. The way our football was being managed was heavily dependent on what administrators wanted.
“We are here and it is so exciting. This is where we wanted to be since 2019. I want to thank all stakeholders who worked diligently for us to get to this stage. It was never an easy road,” she said.
Asked what has changed from the time the country was suspended and now that the suspension has finally been lifted, SRC board chairperson, Gerald Mlotshwa weighed in saying: “I will use one example to clarify that and that is of the female referees. Go and talk to them and you will understand the big difference in their working environment. There was so much sexual harassment that was going on to the extent that it was so pitiful, but these interventions have changed things positively.”
A ZIFA four-member normalisation committee was availed during Tuesday morning’s Presser.
The committee is set to take over the day-to-day running of ZIFA until June 2024 when the committee will also, acting as an electoral committee, will facilitate the coming in of a substantive ZIFA board.
The football global governing body FIFA announced the lifting of the suspension on Zimbabwe and in consultation with CAF, COSAFA and SRC appointed a normalisation committee.
Normalisation committees play an essential role in ensuring compliance with FIFA regulatory requirements.
Former Dynamos chairman, Lincoln Mutasa is the chairman of the committee, which also includes former Mighty Warriors coach, Rosemary Mugadza, former Highlanders defender, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele — who is a member of the British Sports Lawyers Association and legal practitioner, Nyasha Tashinga Sanyamandwe.
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