Online Reporter
Petros Kausiyo in ZVIMBA
ICONIC former Zimbabwe Rugby Union president Aaron Jani has been described as an epitome of integrity and honesty whose values and contribution to both the domestic and continental game, will have an enduring legacy.
Jani, who died in Harare last Wednesday, was laid to rest at his rural home in Zvimba, amid driving afternoon rain.
Hordes of mourners, who included friends, family, the rugby stakeholders, government officials and business compatriots, braved the weather and converged at the Jani homestead to lay to rest a rare breed of Zimbabwean sport-sperson, who rose from being a national team player to lead the association of his chosen sport — rugby.
Tributes continued to pour in from those associated with both local and the African rugby fraternity with all messages uniting to salute the ex-Zimbabwe Sables wing as an astute administrator, who stood out mainly for his values that were entrenched in honesty and integrity.
Sports and Recreation Commission chairman Gerald Mlotshwa said Jani had during his two terms at the helm of the ZRU, set some shining examples for other associations in the way he upheld virtues of integrity and uplifted women’s rugby in the country.
“I came a long way with Aaron, we attended High School together at Milton and we were also together at CBC (Christian Brothers College) although he was my senior.
“We then both relocated to Harare for professional reasons and we reconnected, particularly when he became president of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union in November 2017.
“One word that sums up Aaron to me is integrity . . . that’s what he was and he brought back integrity to Zimbabwe Rugby Union when became president and which why we see why Zimbabwe rugby is on an upward trajectory up to this day,’’ Mlotshwa said.
The Sports Commission boss said Jani passionately worked to try and help the Sables secure a spot at the World Cup and had continued to assist the ZRU in that bid even when he was no longer the union’s president.
“The whole qualification business for the World Cup started in 2018 which was the original campaign and it faltered for a number of reasons and then came Covid-19 and it scuttled a number plans, which the ZRU had put in place but we were always in the background as the SRC and as the corporate world as well.
“Even though Aaron did not carry on as he finished his two terms as ZRU president, he continued being heavily involved in rugby as you know he was treasurer of Rugby Africa.
“But we continued to interact with Zimbabwe rugby itself, planning this year’s Africa Cup as you know this year’s Africa Cup is serving as a qualifying campaign for the World Cup and Aaron was still very much in the background, pushing and lending his support and experience to Losson (Mtongwiza) and company and giving us advice as SRC on what we needed to do, and the SRC support is more on the financial, budgetary perspective and those plans were at an advanced stage.
“I know literally a week before he unfortunately passed on those plans were ready for formal presentation to the SRC and Aaron himself would have played a pivotal role in advising the SRC,’’ added Mlotshwa.
Ex-match official and now Rugby Africa’s Referees manager Mudiwa Mundawarara, fondly recalled how Jani had used both his positions at the ZRU and on the continental body to fight for improved welfare of the referees across Africa.
“I worked very closely with Aaron on the then Zimbabwe Under-19 and now Under-20 committee and lately at Rugby Africa.
“Aaron was a very straightforward person, an honest person, very thoughtful. I was just going through my WhatsApp chats with Aaron and the recurrent theme that came out of the conversations is that he was very thoughtful. He always consulted and sought advice in order to get the best decisions for rugby . . . that is the kind of leader he was.
“A number of people from all over the continent have expressed their very, very sincere condolences and how sad they at the passing of Aaron, so it is a great loss not just for Zimbabwe rugby but for Africa as a whole,’’ Mundawarara said.
“His death is obviously leaves a very big void and as the current president Losson said, he has too big shoes to fill but I would urge our locals to emulate the example of honesty, of integrity which he stood for.
“Aaron was very supportive of referees and I can recall a number of times that he was very supportive especially in the allocation of resources to referees,’’ Mundawarara said.
ZRU president Mtongwiza who served as Jani’s deputy before taking over the reigns in May last year paid glowing tribute to his former boss for setting steadying the union’s ship after a turbulent past and setting the tone for possible World Cup qualification this year.
“To say he was a fantastic man is an understatement.
“The man was superb, he was strong, physically yes to be able to suffer this deadly disease for long time, he showed that he could fight it but obviously God has his way in the end.
“Aaron was a man who taught us many things. We have very stable union at the moment, thanks to people like Aaron. He created structures that will live forever as long as we want rugby to be in the driving seat like it is right now.
“Aaron really assisted Zimbabwe rugby and that is what Rugby Africa wanted him in their structures.
“He lives a wonderful legacy and if we qualify for the World Cup, which we should do and thank you to people Aaron, to be able to have the structures that are there now, to be able to have support of the corporate world, we had corporates fighting at the beginning of last year to be associated with rugby, it is because of Aaron,’’ Mtongwiza said.
