Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) will start investigating growing reports of corruption in the sports industry, which includes abuse of public funds and age cheating by national sports associations and other sports bodies in a bid to restore sanity.
This emerged after a meeting between the Sports and Recreation Commission board chairman Gerald Mlotshwa and Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo in Harare on Monday.
“The two deliberated on areas of mutual interest and cooperation, including the reconfiguration of the sport and recreation industry through the investigation of corruption in the sports sector and generally the enforcement of the tenets of good corporate governance,” read a statement by the SRC.
“The technical and investigative expertise of Zacc would be utilised in those areas involving the abuse of public funds by national sports associations and their office bearers. The discussion also focused on areas of synergy, particularly in relation to partnering on awareness initiatives to educate sport associations and their members on how to shun corruption and deal effectively with cases of corruption.”
Mlotshwa and Matanda-Moyo also agreed to use sport as a viable tool for disseminating anti-corruption messages to reduce incidences of financial malpractice, including use of banned substances as well as unruly practices such as age cheating, amongst other vices afflicting sport in Zimbabwe. They called for the immediate and effective implementation of these resolutions.
“This initiative resonates with the message delivered by the SRC chairman during his address at the recently held Annual National Sports Awards where he unequivocally stated that the SRC being the governing body for sport and recreation was prepared to deal decisively with issues of poor corporate governance and corruption that has tainted the sector,” read the statement.
Yesterday, Mlotshwa met with Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi and agreed that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will designate a special office for the prosecution of sports related offences.
“The NPA will establish a specialist office for the prosecution of sports related offences. It is intended that once the agreed framework is in place, the designated prosecutor will work closely with the SRC, Zacc and ZRP,” said the SRC.
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