Need to speed up sport policy implementation

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ON September 8, 2016, Zimbabwe launched its historic National Sport and Recreation Policy (NSRP) after the then Ministry of Sport and Recreation had embarked on an extensive consultation process meant to formulate its strategies and priorities.

It was formulated to provide a framework within which sport and recreation activities were to be promoted and supported in order to realise the vision of an active, empowered and excelling nation.

Its formation and launch was also in sync with the Constitution of the country which imposes an obligation on the State to take all practical measures to encourage sporting and recreational activities, including the provision of sporting and recreational facilities for all.

That clause is in the Constitution because there is recognition of the immense contribution sport can make to nation building and social cohesion.

The Government realised the state of sport and recreation in the country was characterised by a fragmented delivery system that militated against an efficient application of limited resources and led to the attainment of sub-optimal results that are not in tandem with the spirited efforts of the sport and recreation delivery agents concerned.

Then Sports Minister Makhosini Hlongwane noted that sport and recreation activities were taking place in a fragmented and poorly co-ordinated manner.

“In addition, the economic leakages resulting from this unco-ordinated implementation of sport and recreation programmes constitute permanently lost opportunity for impacting positively on social and economic transformation through sport and recreation. Government is therefore determined to address this unfortunate situation by rationalising and harmonising the management of sport for maximum benefit to all its citizens. The contribution of sport and recreation to sustainable socio-economic development hinges on the sport and recreation sector being transformed into a viable and vibrant industry,” said Hlongwane.

The NSRP was therefore formulated in order to provide parameters for sound organisation and implementation of sport and recreation development in the country, to provide sport and recreation as social, cultural, political and economic tools in national development.

It also seeks to align sport and recreation with lifestyles of all Zimbabweans, formulate guidelines for a clean sport movement, provide parameters for sport dispute resolution as part of a broader sport law sub-sector.

The policy’s other objective is to organise the economy of sport, guide regulation of training and performance standards, define parameters for setting up of a national anti-doping organisation and position the country as a winning and excelling nation.

It also has a number of guidelines, but key ones include schools of sporting excellence across the country which will be achieved through collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

“Every district in the country shall have a school of sporting and recreation excellence. Further every provincial capital shall have a provincial sport and recreation academy and schools of sporting excellence will be established for the purpose of nurturing identified talent in districts and provinces.

“The country shall also establish a national sports academy to provide specialist training, expertise and courses in sport and recreation. This academy will also conduct research in the fields of sport and recreation to develop new knowledge in the area and to support the development of sport and recreation in Zimbabwe,” reads an extract from the policy document.

The NSRP ought to be reviewed every five years or as and when necessary in order for it to remain relevant in a dynamic sport and recreation environment.

Having been launched in 2016, the policy is due for review next year.

But what is it outlined in the policy that has so far been achieved?

Have the schools of excellence been identified? If so are they functional and if not why have they not been set up?

It was heart warming when Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry last year announced that her ministry had started the process of launching a national sport strategy, which in essence will be coming up with how the NSRP will be implemented.

For now that process is rather too slow.