Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ON Tuesday, Zimbabwe and the rest of the continent celebrated Africa Day, a special day commemorating the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on May 25, 1963.
It’s a special day that is celebrated in various ways, including sporting activities.
Likewise, in Bulawayo a netball tournament, targeting mainly marginalised teams, thanks to Hope through Sports and Sports Grind, which provided resources for the event.
However, while it is important to capacitate the girl child and also celebrate Africa Day in a unique way, no one must be under any illusion that the country is over the devastating effects of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
We are still under lockdown and sporting events are still held under close supervision and must be in total adherence to strict health guidelines and protocols.
It was therefore frightening to watch netball proceedings at Sobukhazi High School being held in complete disregard of laid down protocols meant to curtail the spread of the pandemic.
Masks were either not worn properly or worn at all, and there was no social distancing by both officials and players.
No Covid-19 test certificates were produced and neither were temperature checks done nor players and officials sanitised.
All these are not optional procedures, but are mandatory; there are no options, yet this tournament was allowed to continue, exposing innocent players and children to the deadly virus.
Positive Covid-19 tests from that event could lead city-wide lockdown just like what happened in Kwekwe last week when the entire city was placed under a localised lockdown following the discovery of the more deadly Indian strain.
Tournament sponsors Hope Through Sports and Sports Grind cannot be blamed for non-adherence to health guidelines and protocols because all they produced were resources.
Sport is run by office bearers and netball is controlled by the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina).
It’s this body that was given the standard operating procedure booklet by the SRC, which clearly lays down what should be done.
Officials from Zina were in attendance at the Sobukhazi tournament and violations happened in their presence, yet no effort was made to correct the anomaly.
Remarks by Zina Bulawayo secretary-general Livonia Bhebhe that they were not in charge of the tournament is just hiding behind a finger.
Masks were only worn following the intervention of one of the sponsors Buhlebenkosi Ncube, who runs Sports Grind, but still social distancing wasn’t adhered to and match balls were not sanitised.
The question still remains, who authorised that Africa Day netball tournament?
Culprits should not go scot-free. The tournament was and could be a Covid-19 super spreader and heads must roll, considering that the event was held at a school when schools are not yet permitted to host any sporting events.
Online Reporter