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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister, Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga, yesterday urged different sporting disciplines to come forward with the challenges they are facing as the ministry seeks to improve the state of sport in the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference held yesterday in an effort by the ministry to assist motor racing driver, Axcil Jefferies, raise funds for his races this year, Kanengoni-Malinga said this is just the starting point.
“In terms of mechanism in place this is something we are still working on so I cannot give you exactly where we are at and what we are doing,” said Kanengoni-Malinga.
“But our open support we are giving right now is a start because we don’t want people to think that we don’t support junior sports so to speak or sports that are not as popular as football or cricket.
“So we are creating awareness as a ministry of these sport codes like motor sport, motocross and things like that.
“We are creating awareness, educating the people that there are sports like these, making them known that these are also sports (whose athletes) can represent the country the world over, bring us income as a country and help build our economy.
“Beyond awareness we will have to reveal our long-term plans as we go along.”
Kanengoni-Malinga said there was need for the different sport codes to work hand-in-hand with the ministry so that they know the situation on the ground and find ways to assist.
“What I have realised is people assume that we know everything about the challenges they are facing,” said the deputy minister.
“Maybe, some of them don’t know that we have an open door policy.
“Maybe, some of them think that our offices are not to be gone into but I want to encourage all those disciplines to come to us and talk to us.
“The ones that we are talking about here the motocross, motor racing, these are people that came to us, spoke to us and convinced us that you know it’s something that is worth going into.
“We want to help them all, they must come to us, let’s talk, let’s sit down, discuss and let’s see what you are going through.
“We can’t assume that everything is okay, if you keep quiet we will think you are okay so speak up and come to us.”
She said they were proud of Jefferies’ achievement and have engaged the government to assist the 19-year-old athlete raise funds so that his dream can become a reality.
“As the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture we have engaged the Head of State and Government, represented by the acting President Honourable Joice Mujuru, whom we met yesterday,” said Kanengoni-Malinga.
“And she has shown her support for Mr Jefferies.
“We are looking at partnering the Ministry of Youth and the Ministry of Tourism. We believe that motorsport can generate a lot of income for our country.
“For the companies we want to come on board we really want them to know that investing in Axcil is investing in Zimbabwe Sport.
“We are going to be approaching them, we are going to be giving the details about the type of support that he needs.
“We are not going to be revealing the actual amounts but we want the people who are really interested in supporting.” She said they were very supportive of what Jefferies was doing on the international circuit.
“As the ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture we are very proud of Axcil Jefferies who has put Zimbabwe on the map in as far as motorsport is concerned.
“It’s very rare to get a young man like him competing at a high level such as the Formula Two, GP2 level and he has the potential of going to Formula One.
“We have recently discovered that he is also the only African who is at that level and he is only 19 years old, turning 20.
“We have many people who have offered support to Axcil Jefferies as far as his endeavours are concerned but what we have learnt is that this sport is a very expensive sport,” Kanengoni-Malinga added.
The occasion was graced by the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister, Walter Kanhanga, and Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Deputy Minister, Mathias Tongofa, who both pledged their support for the athlete.
Jefferies is set to compete in the GP2 this year which is a feeder and the last step into Formula One and is optimistic his dream will come true.
“It’s been a very exciting long journey that we had but we are at such a crucial point in our career now, where we are so close to achieve what was initially mine and my father’s dream but now instead it has become a dream of many Zimbabweans and many Africans to see an African in Formula One.
“We are so close now, I am now pushing really hard to do everything I can, hopefully this year we are going to compete in GP2.
“But besides what I want to do I think the goal for the future is to develop other young indigenous drivers, mechanics, engineers with opening perhaps a school of excellence or an academy of excellence to help develop other young Zimbabweans,” said Jefferies.
This season will get underway next month with the actual races starting in April and Jefferies will be competing in 11 events of which, eight will be in Europe and three will be in Asia and the Middle East.
He will be moving his base from the United States to Italy.
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