The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has requested a meeting with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as concerns continue rising over inordinate delays in resuming football.
The meeting, which will take place “in due course”, could added oomph to ZIFA’s push to lift the indefinite suspension on local football activities due to the coronavirus.
ZIFA submitted an application on February 9, for resumption of football and the document in now being considered by the SRC.
After assessing ZIFA’s request, the regulatory body will forward the issue to the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, which, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, grants the final approval.
However, there has been growing speculation of a tiff between the SRC and ZIFA that is scuttling resumption of the sport.
ZIFA and the SRC have clashed on numerous occasions in the aftermath of the Warriors’ doomed 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals, especially when the commission demanded a detailed report of what transpired in Egypt, where the senior national team players staged an industrial action on two occasions.
The SRC have not been amused by ZIFA’s failure to comply with the tenets of good corporate governance, including allegations of contravening the association’s constitution.
In November 2020, the SRC suspended ZIFA chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse for allegedly flouting laid down protocols regarding trips of national football teams to South Africa.
The controversy also claimed the scalp of the commission’s director-general, Prince Mupazviriho. SRC board chairperson Mr Gerald Mlotshwa told The Sunday Mail that insistence on compliance to regulations should not be misconstrued to be an agenda against the ZIFA leadership.
He said standard operating procedures have been put in place not just targeted at football, but the safe return of all sport in the country.
“The SRC feels the plight of all athletes, support staff, officials and respective families, and is facilitating for the resumption of the sport sector across the board in a safe manner.
“The effects of the pandemic have been felt not only in Zimbabwe but on a global scale.
“All sectors of the economy have been severely affected. The fundamental consideration is the health and lives of the people of Zimbabwe as explained by President Mnangagwa,” Mlotshwa said.
A video produced by the Football Union of Zimbabwe, profiling the plight of footballers went viral last week, while a number of prominent players, including Ngezi Platinum Stars midfielder Devon Chafa and Dynamos keeper Munyaradzi Diya, waded in with Facebook posts calling for the return of the game.
The expectation is that football might be allowed to return after the lapse of the Level Four lockdown.
“It is important to state at the outset that Government approved the gradual resumption of football in 2020 using the bubble concept but competitive football did not resume.
“However, the re-application is now under consideration and ZIFA and the nation will be informed of the outcome.
“The Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, provides the final approval on recommendations by the SRC.”
The Government, he added, had imposed the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, including at sporting events.
“You will note that Government came up with various interventions to alleviate the plight of its citizens. In the sport sector, the Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Youth, Arts, Sport and Recreation, established the Athletes Relief Fund as an intermediary measure to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on athlete’s welfare, and disbursements are underway.”
Football protocols
The SRC boss also explained the authority’s expectations from ZIFA.
“The most important consideration is the safety of the athletes, officials, ancillary staff and the community at large in this Covid-19 era,” he said. “It is, therefore, important to note that any application for the resumption of football must provide detailed protocols and measures on how football activities will be conducted and the measures that will be undertaken to minimise infections to all parties concerned in view of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines.”
He also intimated that the meeting between the SRC and the ZIFA would take place after the current lockdown measures have been lifted.
“SRC does not begrudge any national sport association, ZIFA included, in carrying out its mandate. The setting of standards for the sports and recreation sector must not be construed otherwise as SRC will do so in a professional, transparent and equitable manner.
“In this respect, certain ZIFA board members have sought a meeting with me.”
“That meeting will take place in due course after the current lockdown measures have been lifted,” revealed Mlotshwa.
“With respect to return of football, last year the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation and SRC had meetings with ZIFA until the gradual resumption was approved.
“SRC even provided standard operating procedures for the safe resumption of football, which ZIFA has adopted.”
Football and cricket
But, a lot of people tend to draw parallels between ZIFA and Zimbabwe Cricket, as the latter have been given the greenlight to resume some of their activities, including national team matches.
“Cricket has not been given approval for full resumption; however, cricket made its submissions for the activities it intended to conduct.
“It presented a clearly laid out blueprint on how it intended to conduct its activities in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, WHO guidelines, Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines and ICC guidelines.
“It is commendable that cricket did not leave room for assumptions in their submissions.”
Mr Mlotshwa said the SRC was an independent statutory body that does not take instructions from international federations but expect “a cordial working relationship with all stakeholders, FIFA included”.
While local football continues to be in limbo, largely also due to ZIFA’s failure to put in place measures to deal with impact of Covid-19, some leagues in neighbouring countries such as Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia have since resumed and are currently underway.
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Some of the protocols for safe resumption of the game include:
- a) Covid-19 testing protocols for athletes, officials and support staff as well.
- b) Provision for disinfection of all venues to be used.
- c) Measures for dealing with confirmed cases of Covid-19.
- d) Particulars of fixtures and venues to be used, times of activities and the names of the athletes and staff members.
- e) Particulars for preventing transmission of Covid-19 during football matches including, but not limited to:
- i) No spectators at the moment.
- ii) Every athlete and member of the associated sport staff must, before training, exercising or competing, submit to temperature checks and, before, after and between competitions, sanitise their hands.
iii) Every athlete and member of the associated sport staff must observe the social distancing rule and wear face masks.
- iv) No sharing of equipment such as personal and sports equipment and apparel; for example, towels, consumables, water bottles and cups.
- v) Provision of PPEs in the form of face masks, hand sanitisers, tissues or wipes, and these must be available for distribution to all athletes and support staff.
- vi) No sale of food and liquor at match venues.
vii) Above all, return to football must comply with the laws of Zimbabwe at any given time.
