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Lovemore Dube in Bulawayo
IN line with their new thrust, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) will hold their second successive annual general meeting in Harare on Tuesday at which operations of national associations will receive attention.
The SRC had abandoned such meetings, before they were revived last year by director-general Eltah Nengomasha (pictured) and her board.
Nengomasha said the crucial indaba will now be a permanent feature on the sports regulatory body’s calendar as the deliberations from such meetings were vital in shaping local support.
Successive boards failed to hold the meetings since 2015.
Nengomasha said she had found it necessary to engage stakeholders and get to appreciate the framework under which they operate.
Tuesday’s meeting will provide a platform for the commission to update associations on the Government’s expectations, while the SRC get to hear some of the key issues impacting operations of the different sporting disciplines.
“It is important that the sector reports on its operations to its stakeholders,” said Nengomasha.
“It also aids in transparency and accountability, which are a requisite to attracting partnerships and investments.”
The SRC is the Government’s arm that regulates sport in the country. All sporting associations fall under this body and are expected to be fully compliant.
During Tuesday’s indaba, SRC board chairperson Gerald Mlotshwa is expected to present his annual report and also dwell on the thorny issue of compliance, which has seen some associations fall foul of the regulatory body’s requirements.
Over the past three years, the SRC were in the spotlight as they battled with the football and swimming associations to get them to be compliant.
This resulted in the suspension of members of the two associations’ executives.
There are also growing concerns that many associations are not compliant and do not disclose information about funding from international federations.
In some instances, funds have reportedly ended up in individuals’ pockets, with some executives operating under the false belief that they are not answerable to the Sports Commission.
Mlotshwa is expected to update associations on policy, while Nengomasha, who was Team Zimbabwe’s chef de mission to the African Games in Accra, Ghana, will touch on operational matters.
Representatives of the sporting associations could also use the opportunity to get an in-depth update from the SRC on the state of the National Sports Stadium upgrade and other facilities that include Magamba and Khumalo hockey stadiums.
The SRC’s audited accounts will also be tabled.
Online Reporter