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From Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Harare
THE Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has engaged other line ministries with a view to coming up with incentives for companies that are involved in funding sport in the country.
In an interview soon after his address to delegates that attended the Ministry’s All-Stakeholders breakfast meeting held at a Harare hotel yesterday, the Minister Andrew Langa, said Zimbabwe should come up with incentives to entice companies to support sport like what other countries were doing.
“I acknowledge that my Ministry alone cannot come up with such incentives hence I am engaging other ministries particularly the Ministry of Finance. I am saying if other countries could have such incentives why not in this country. I sincerely hope that my colleagues in Government will support the initiative,” said Langa.
In his address to delegates earlier on Minister Langa said the Government’s strategic direction was driven by the recent revision of the national constitution which outlines several key principles.
He said the Government will soon launch the Zimbabwe Programme for Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMPSET) which outlines important national priorities for inclusion in the different ministries’ strategies.
“Some of the key aspects of the guiding documents include an appreciation of national level goals that our effort must be directed towards. At national level, Government expects sport and other creative industries to play a more significant role in contributing to the growth of the national economy,” said Minister Langa.
He said there was also a huge potential of creating employment for young people.
He said there was a need for sportspersons to build confidence in the business community so that the businesses can in turn support sport.
He outlined about 10 programmes that would be undertaken in the next few months among them the establishment of effective sports administration by agents and associations, upgrading sports infrastructure and promotion of sports development programmes.
“There is certainly no reason why our senior national soccer team should always play its games here in Harare when we can have them play for example in Masvingo. We need however, to make sure that there are proper facilities there because our goal also is to see more people participating in sport across the country,” he said.
Accompanying Minister Langa was his deputy, Tabeth Malinga, permanent secretary Thokozile Chitepo and principal director Paul Damasane.
Meanwhile, delegates to the All-Stakeholders breakfast meeting called on the Government to fully capacitate the newly created Ministry.
By capacitating the ministry, delegates said, various sports associations would also benefit.
Leading the call was the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee president, Admire Masenda who said as long as the ministry had no adequate funding, all the dreams would come to naught.
“This is my second call again after a similar one two weeks ago. The Cabinet must make sure the ministry is fully resourced or else it will be the same old story,” said Masenda.
In separate interviews, leaders of sports associations echoed Masenda’s call and said proper funding would no doubt take the country to yesteryear glory days when it used to win medals at international competitions.
The Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee president, Michael Bulagango said there was need to avoid living in a fantasy world of ever dreaming.
“We can talk of policies and hold as many strategic workshops as can be allowed but without resources nothing will move,” said Bulagango.
He said the country needs to go back to its glory years when there were the likes of the Golden Girls who won a gold medal in hockey at the 1980 Olympics, football star Peter Ndlovu, swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry and Paralympian Elliot Mujaji .
Online Reporter