The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
ZIMBABWEAN sport is full of stories whereby administrators overstay their welcome and seek to use everything at their disposal to hang on to their positions. However, the story of Joe Rugwete and the Zimbabwe Karate Union is a different one.
Rugwete, the ZKU president for the past five years, is ready to walk away with two years of his term still remaining.
His fellow board members are begging him to stay ahead of an Annual General Meeting next weekend.
ZKU secretary general Steve Charandura confirmed that efforts are underway to talk Rugwete into a rethink.
“We are still talking to him, we don’t want him to leave office,” said Charandura.
“We feel we need to continue working with him, I will get back to you and give you our final position as ZKU.”
Rugwete reckons the association ‘has a lot of work to do’ to convince him to change his mind. “I have seen posts on Facebook, people urging me to stay. It is a very difficult decision to walk away especially when you see that people still want you.
“But they have a lot of work to do for me to change my mind. I think I have done a lot for the association and it’s time for a new person to come.
“I leave the association in good hands and in a good position which I believe will be motivating factor for the next president,” he said. Rugwete is being linked with a move to the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee but the want away ZKU president insists that is not the reason for his departure.
“I must make it clear that I decided to step aside from the Zimbabwe Karate Union post first before the ZOC thing came up. I looked at what I achieved during my reign and smiled, I felt content and decided that it was time for someone else to come and take over.
“After I made that decision to walk away from ZKU, some people came and urged me to contest for the ZOC leadership,” he said.
During Rugwete’s tenure, the ZKU has won the best administration accolade at the last two Annual National Sports Awards.
