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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE Sports and Recreation Portfolio Committee have expressed disappointment with the Sports Commission who were in a no-show at the Parliament this morning.
The Sports Commission, together with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation officials, were scheduled to appear before the Parliament Committee and give evidence on the state of football affairs in the country.
The Sports Committee wanted to have a full understanding of the SRC ban which was effected on the ZIFA board last year and its implications on Zimbabwe’s football should FIFA hand down a ban on Zimbabwean football.
However, only the Ministry’s permanent secretary, Thokozile Chitepo, appeared before the Committee, which irked the legislators.
Chitepo informed the Committee that the Sports Commission chairman Gerald Mlotshwa had travelled outside the country, while the SRC acting director-general had other work commitments.
The Committee that is chaired by legislator Mathias Tongofa postponed the meeting and said it was pointless to proceed with the meeting without SRC officials.
Some of the members of Parliament that constitute the Sports Committee thus Tatenda Mavetera, Omega Sibanda, Gift Banda, Trevor Saruwaka, and Columbus Gorerino took turns to express their disappointment with the board.
They said it was disturbing that at a time that even President Mnangagwa was concerned with the state of football in the country, the Sports Commission chose to snub an important platform to discuss football.
Sibanda said the Sports Commission’s disrespect has been ongoing for some time.
“This is not the first time that the SRC chairperson has failed to come to this committee, and the problems emanate from his office. We want to understand, we want clarity,” said Sibanda.
Legislator Banda said the Committee’s reputation is at stake if they fail to stamp their authority.
“If we don’t put our foot down, we are going to be seen as one of the worst committees in the last five years. We need to realise what is on our shoulders. We need to realise the mandate that is given to us in order to bring sanity to all these prevailing issues, because if you realise these things have been boiling, now they are at a point where we see all these things that have happened. But we need to put our foot down and do come up with resolutions that are going to help the sport in this country, football in particular, because football is crying out loud for us,” said Banda.
The Committee rescheduled the meeting to Wednesday morning after they were later informed by Chitepo that Mlotshwa was actually not outside the country but was in Bulawayo.
Online Reporter