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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS are hoping that the Sports Integrity Bill will help sanitise the sporting landscape once it’s enacted into law.
The draft is currently under the active consideration of the Attorney-General’s Office following the approval of its tenets by Cabinet back in 2020.
The Bill is expected to become an act of Parliament in 2024, with President Mnangagwa recently spelling out the need for new bills to serve the people.
“Sport is integral to job creation as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyles. In this regard, the Second Republic is currently developing the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill to create an enabling environment for sport and recreation delivery,” said President Mnangagwa recently.
“Through the Sports Integrity Bill, Parliament is expected to assist in the creation of a regulated and fair sporting environment”.
The Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) president Russel Maradza MhiribidiRussel Maradza M said once passed into law, the Sports Integrity Bill will address all ills bedevilling sport.
The bill is meant to address issues to do with violence, hooliganism, match-fixing, age-cheating and corruption among other things.
“This is very important because one of the core values of sport is fair play and we cannot have fair play without integrity,” said Mhiribidi.
“We are praying that Parliament adopts the bill and make it law. I would like to thank the Government, through the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture for having led in the formulation of all those policies.
“If you look at match-fixing, it is a cancer that is threatening the integrity of the game the world over.
“It starts even from school level where children are taught to fix matches.
“This is also where age-cheating starts. They use over-aged students to play while denying a chance to those with the right to participate.
“You also see that the coming in of betting houses is driving match-fixing.
“All these vices should be eradicated. Sport will never grow with these vices in place.
“Issues to do with maladministration will also be addressed. Everyone should be accountable for their actions when it comes to the Integrity Bill.”
The issue of violence during games and referees getting paid to influence matches is common in Zimbabwe’s sporting panorama.
There are also instances where athletes deliberately underperform or even feign injuries just to influence the outcome of contests.
The Bill will also crack on the conduct of officials who are directly or indirectly involved in sport.
That means every unethical practice that threatens the integrity of sport would be investigated and prosecuted and offenders jailed.
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