adminGrace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation are working closely with the Attorney General’s Office to come up with an interim legal framework to allow the proposed National Sports Council to come into effect.
The Ministry, through Parliament, are in the process of repealing the SRC Act, which was created by an Act of Parliament, Chapter 25:15, of 1991.
A new Act, the Sport Council Act, is expected to usher in the new regulation of sport and a draft has since been unveiled by Sports Minister, Kirsty Coventry.
The proposed structure will have 15 members, who include six Ministerial appointments, and five appointments from the national sport associations.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee president and the Zimbabwe National Paralympic leader will be vice-chairpersons, of the new structure.
The chairperson will be a ministerial appointee.
The Special Olympics president, and the Athletes Commission boss, will also have seats on the board.
The National Sports Council is expected to come into effect, through a memorandum of understanding, while awaiting the completion of the legislative processes, which usually take time.
This was said by the Sports Commission chairman, Gerald Mlotshwa, on Monday during a virtual media briefing.
He said the associations were excited by the inclusivity brought by the new structure.
“All the national sports codes have met, virtually, we made our presentations to them, with respect to the National Sports Council, the proposed structure and debated the issues,’’ he said.
“We then asked them to come back, with their various positions, suggestions, general feedback, which they have now done, and most of it has been very helpful, very positive, and very supportive.
“I think all our national sports codes like the idea of having a reconstituted SRC that has various national sports codes also being part of the decision-making processes, obviously, that will also entail, in future, the repeal of the SRC Act and the coming into effect of a new Act.
“But, I think, all of us also appreciate the fact that the legislative process does not move, or is not likely to move, as quickly as we may want it to move, so, as an interim measure and where we are, there is a framework that is being put in place that’s being worked on by the Ministry, in conjunction with the Attorney General Office.
“That framework should then result in a memorandum of understanding, which all of our sports codes, the federations, would be a part to, or a signatory to, we will see what or how it comes out, that will provide the interim basis upon which the National Sports Council will operate, under the current SRC Act.
“That’s why we have the AG’s office seeing how best we can incorporate that, under the present Act, until it’s been repealed.
“Once it’s been repealed, then we have a proper formal Act in place, so the MOU will act as an interim framework, allowing the National Sports Council to be operative and I suppose in many respects, it will act as a test case.”
Having the Council operate, before a full legal framework is in place, allows the new structure to be fully polished, with any challenges addressed, well before the new Act has been enacted.
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