Online Reporter
When NATHANIEL MADZIVANYIKA took over as chairperson of the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) on July 7, he inherited an organisation weighed down by both expectation and history. His predecessor Gerald Mlotshwa left behind a mixed record, including a bruising standoff with the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), which eventually resulted in FIFA suspending Zimbabwe from international football. Barely a month into his tenure, Madzivanyika has already moved to set a different tone. He speaks of reviving the National Youth Games, enforcing compliance across sporting associations, rebuilding infrastructure and reshaping Zimbabwe’s approach to sport by treating it as an industry rather than a pastime. His vision is ambitious, but his delivery is firm. He insists this SRC board will not sit on the sidelines. He spoke to Zimpapers Sports Hub’s LANGTON NYAKWENDA in Harare.
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Q: Your board has been in office for just over a month now. How would you describe your early days?
A: We’ve had a great start. To begin with, we met the entire SRC staff to map out the way forward. We need to follow a trajectory that genuinely serves the interests of Zimbabwe. Sport should no longer be seen as an afterthought. It has to be viewed as a driver of economic development. There’s need for a paradigm shift. We must treat sport as a business.
Q: What comes after those first meetings?
A: I’ll be visiting all the 10 provinces to get a first-hand appreciation of what’s happening at the grassroots level. One of our main tasks is to reintroduce the Zimbabwe National Youth Games. Starting from 2026, we want those games back on the calendar.
They will provide a vital platform for identifying talent, while also helping address corruption in national team selection. As a board, we are not here to interfere with sporting matters, but we must insist on transparency.
Q: Lack of infrastructure remains a major challenge. Zimbabwe’s national football team is still hosting games in South Africa. How does the SRC fit in?
A: Infrastructure development is central to our role. We are encouraged by Government’s work in refurbishing the National Sports Stadium, and the progress there is clear. But development must not stop in Harare. It should spread across the entire country. With the Youth Games rotating from province to province, facilities everywhere will benefit. In fact, preparations for the 2026 games should already be underway.
Q: How important are these Youth Games to you?
A: They mean a great deal. They bring unity, they foster comradeship and they create healthy competition. People from Harare get to know those from Matabeleland, and athletes build lasting connections. That’s why the games are a Government project. But beyond unity, they’re a springboard for careers. Charles Manyuchi rose from the Youth Games to become a world boxing champion. That’s the power of such platforms.
Q: You’ve been meeting national associations. From those engagements, how are they doing in terms of compliance?
A: Some associations don’t conduct elections when they should. Others don’t follow their constitutions. Compliance remains a challenge, though several are already doing well. We’re engaging those that lag behind, and we are educating them on the need to comply. What was encouraging is that associations welcomed these discussions. Many of them admitted it was the first time they’d ever met with an SRC chairperson. That alone signals change.
Q: What kind of workload lies ahead for your board?
A: We’ve assigned each commissioner to a cluster of associations. This ensures accountability, and it also ensures that commissioners are actively working. Rugby, for example, has internal issues, yet the national team has qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Cricket, too, has its own challenges. We will step in as mediators where necessary, but we are not an extension of the Judicial Service Commission. Our role is to ensure stability and compliance without inviting sanctions from international bodies. Each commissioner must go deep into their allocated sports and bring back accurate assessments.
Q: Favouritism, tribalism and corruption have long plagued sport in Zimbabwe. How will you deal with that?
A: Where law enforcement is needed, we will act. If necessary, we’ll call in ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission). What’s important is that the sporting community knows we are serious. Corruption, favouritism and tribalism have no place in sport.
Q: Out of the 50-plus associations you oversee, how many are compliant?
A: I’d say close to 45 to 50 percent are compliant, and that includes ZIFA. But compliance isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. Associations must demonstrate accountability. They must explain how they operated, where they fell short and where they excelled. That’s what real compliance looks like.
Q: Your predecessor clashed with the old ZIFA leadership, and that dispute led to Zimbabwe’s FIFA suspension. You’ve since met with new president Nqobile Magwizi. What came out of that meeting?
A: We spoke about compliance, but also about ensuring that every decision is judged by whether it is good for the business of sport. Suspensions are sometimes unavoidable, but before we go that far, we should ask if problems can be resolved amicably.
Zimbabwe’s FIFA suspension was a major setback and a great concern. With the new ZIFA leadership, we reached an understanding — there will be no corruption, no abuse of office and no sexual harassment. Those issues will not be tolerated.
Q: Looking forward, what do you expect?
A: There’s a lot of work to do. We need to normalise many things across the board. In the past, the SRC board only sat at intervals. This one will be different. We will be operational. We’ll be hands-on.
Tinaye Agere