Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT may have taken long in coming but the Sports and Recreation Commission have taken steps to deal with the leadership crisis plaguing the Zimbabwe Rugby Union.
The country’s sport regulatory body yesterday revealed an interim management committee to run the affairs of the ZRU for at least nine months.
During the period of their tenure, the Commission are hoping that the interim leadership would have successfully amended the ZRU’s constitution and laid the platform for the staging of the union’s elections.
It was also the first time that the newly-elected SRC board was facing the national media since their appointment to Gerald Mhlotswa’s team.
SRC board vice-chairperson, Shingai Rhuhwaya in addressing a media conference said the ZRU five-member committee would be chaired by Paddy Zhanda.
The committee will also include members Latifa Kassim, Gareth Crabbe, Wellington Magaya and former Zimbabwe Sables coach Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa.
Murambiwa, who has also previously coached the Junior Sables and club giants Old Hararians, had until this latest appointment been the chairman of the union’s technical committee.
The Commission indicated that the appointment of the interim committee, which follows the dissolution of the ZRU board had also received the blessings of World Rugby and the continental body Rugby Africa.
“The SRC, in line with its statutory mandate, recently dissolved the board of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union following serious governance failures,” said Rhuhwaya.
“For now, it is important to assure all stakeholders that rugby in Zimbabwe will continue uninterrupted and that clear transitional measures are already in place.
“We are pleased to announce that an Interim Management Committee (IMC) has been established and will be fully operational in the coming weeks ahead.
“This Committee is composed of competent and experienced professionals drawn from diverse fields, with expertise in governance, finance, sport administration and rugby development,” she said.
The SRC vice-chairperson also added that the interim committee had as part of their mandate, been tasked with restoring financial accountability within the ZRU and guaranteeing uninterrupted participation in domestic and international competitions.
“They have also been tasked with ensuring smooth preparations for the 2027 World Cup through a high-performance strategy, initiating a constitutional review process and safeguarding the welfare and dignity of all our athletes, including the Lady Sables.
“The IMC’s term of office will be one year with a review exercise taking place every six months.”
They will report directly to the SRC but have the leeway to liaise directly with World Rugby and Rugby Africa to unlock technical and financial support, which the national game desperately needs.
“This is not just about continuity.
“It is also about building confidence and stability so that rugby in Zimbabwe thrives.
“We wish to assure all stakeholders — athletes, clubs, coaches, sponsors and fans — that rugby in Zimbabwe continues.
“Competitions and development programmes will proceed as scheduled.
“Funding and sponsorship agreements will be stewarded transparently under the IMC’s oversight, with the confidence of our international partners.
“World Rugby and Rugby Africa are fully engaged in this process. They have indicated their support for reforms to strengthen our governance and ensure Zimbabwe is well-prepared for the unique rigours of World Cup participation,” added Rhuhwaya.
This move by the SRC is set to end months of uncertainly as the sport has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since April when, then ZRU president Losson Mtongwiza and Zimbabwe Women’s chairperson Regina Mwanandiwa were suspended. While the boardroom was dealing with the Mtongwiza and Mwanandiwa saga, albeit, at a snail’s pace, the Sables did not allow those power struggles to affect them.
Coach Piet Benade and his African champions successfully defended their Rugby Africa Cup title in Uganda and with it booked their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
This ended a long and arduous 34-year wait by Zimbabwe.
“After the successful World Cup qualification, both World Rugby and Rugby Africa engaged Zimbabwe to assess our readiness for the next phase.
“Their conclusion was sobering.
“The governance state of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) risked blocking critical technical and financial support.
“The president of Rugby Africa, Herbert Mensah, wrote to the SRC Board and provided a set of recommendations that included among them, the dissolution of the then current ZRU Board.
“Their observations aligned with our previous calls over the years for the rugby body to regularise their operations.
“The stark reality was that Zimbabwe could have even faced suspension by the continental and international rugby bodies. Without audited financial statements — which had not been submitted for two consecutive years — no external support could be extended to Zimbabwean rugby.
“The SRC’s actions are therefore aimed squarely at ensuring that our country can adequately prepare for the World Cup and they have the full endorsement of World Rugby, Africa Rugby and the Government of Zimbabwe,’’ said Rhuhwaya.
