SRC orders associations to decentralise structures

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) has directed all national sports associations to decentralise their structures to ward level in a move aimed at improving the country’s performance in the different sporting disciplines.
All national associations must comply with the directive by June 30, 2016.
“On January 25, 2016, the Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane addressed all NSAs on, among other things, measures that the ministry, SRC and NSAs in particular, should take in order to transform our sport so as to realise unprecedented success and be a significant contributor to the national socio-economic goals as espoused in Zim-Asset. One of these measures is the decentralisation of structures down to ward/zonal levels,” said SRC director-general Charles Nhemachena.
He said the majority of NSAs are not represented at community or grassroots level and those remotely connected with community level sport are not effectively playing their role as catalysts for the growth and development of their respective sports.
Nhemachena further noted that most NSAs distanced themselves from foundational level of sport and were not strategically positioned to influence the quality aspect of sport, ultimately resulting in failure to have competitive national teams.
“In order to redress this situation, NSAs have been directed to decentralise their structures to generally conform with the national planning structures, which are formalised at the following levels: national, provincial, district and ward. The target completion date for this exercise is June 30, 2016.
“Where the nature of the sport makes it impracticable for a NSA to meet this requirement, formal representations to that effect detailing the existing or anticipated impediments should be submitted by February 15, 2016, after which the SRC will meet the concerned associations to discuss such representations and map the way forward,” he said.
Nhemachena said the SRC was cognisant of the fact that substantive structures will require the development of constitutions, rules, regulations and related policy documents to facilitate the orderly conduct of business.
“To this end, NSAs were advised to initiate the process by appointing interim committees, which will then be tasked to regularise the governance issues through agreed action plans with clear timelines. The process should then culminate in the establishment of substantive, democratically elected structures. As per its mandate, the SRC will be available to provide assistance to NSAs, especially with the planning/technical aspects of this exercise,” Nhemachena said.