National sport policy on cards

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane said they are in the process of coming up with a national sport policy to govern the sporting industry. Hlongwane said already there is a draft done by his predecessor, Andrew Langa, and they are working on the draft.

“We have a draft national sport policy which I found in the ministry having been done by my predecessor. We are currently looking into it in light of the decoupling of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation from the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture so that we give the necessary emphasis on the issues of both sport and recreation, which recreation was not a part of the previous ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture.

“So we have a draft policy and we are looking into that with a view of providing the necessary value added to the document so that we can take it to our colleagues, have a look at it together, share some ideas and then adopt it as Government as the National Sport and Recreation policy for our country,” said Hlongwnae.

Hlongwane, however, said issues of sport goes beyond national policy as they also have to look at the national sport strategy.

“It’s not enough though to set up a national policy on sport and recreation beyond that we should then necessarily develop a national sport and recreation strategy. What is our agreed sport strategy in the country? And we derive that from the elements within the national policy but that again is not enough to develop a strategy for sport beyond that we must then say what is our national sport and recreation plan.

“In other words, what are the implementarities for our strategy, how do we implement our strategy, how do we make sure that this developed organic creature we now call the sport industry is a wheel that effects its turning without a glitch. So we have three fundamental documents that we are going to be looking into,” said Hlongwane.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Yoshi Hiraishi, where he paid tribute to the Japanese for their support for local sports including the development of the Paralympic Games and said they look forward to build a long term relationship with Japan in various sport codes such as women’s football, rugby, karate, wrestling and baseball.

“You are already doing good work in Zimbabwe as far as sport is concerned. And we are going to be drafting something to look into the issues that we have discussed and certainly that is going to be done as a matter of urgency. Issues of capacity as far as sport administration is concerned are very important for us. “I am very glad that you have specialist in the country and you are keen to increase the number of specialists as far as sport is concerned. That for us is a big area once we develop the capacities of our associations, coaches as well as umpires it means that the quality of knowledge they impart on the athletes is also improved,” said Hlongwnae.

Hiraishi said they would want to work with Zimbabwe in the future also looking at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “We have been promoting the idea of sports for tomorrow towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games so we have various kinds of schemes with which our cooperate can contribute to the promotion of sport worldwide and Zimbabwe are, in my understanding, one of those countries which we can have a focus on.

“At this moment I think we have totally 20 Japanese Overseas Co-operation Volunteers experts who are working in various parts of Zimbabwe. I think five or six are working in the field of sport. So my wish is to expand those numbers of experts in sport,” said Hiraishi.