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Sports Reporter
THE Sport and Recreation Commission are likely to come down hard on the Amon Madzvamuse-led Zimbabwe Handball Federation (ZHF) executive board for defying a directive from the country’s supreme sports body to hold their elections on November 15 this year. Joseph Muchechetere, the Sports Commission’s director for sport development said the ZHF executive board recently appeared before a disciplinary hearing for its conduct and “the Disciplinary Committee is yet to give its determination”.

He said all the local handball’s key stakeholders will be advised once the process is through but there are strong indications that the Madzvamuse-led ZHF executive board face severe sanctions from the Sports Commission for failing to adhere to their directive to hold elections for a substantive leadership by November 15 this year.

Muchechetere was reacting to a query from one of the ZHF’s council members, S Mandla, who on December 8 wrote a letter to the Sports Commission asking why they were taking long to take any disciplinary action against Madzvamuse and his executive board for “utter defiance to SRC’s directives” to hold elections.

Part of Mandla’s letter, which was addressed to Muchechetere, a copy of which is the hands of The Herald, reads: “ In a letter dated September 1 2015, (the) SRC through the DG (director general) assured us that sanity will be brought back to the sport of handball by instituting disciplinary measures.

“On October 6 2015, the SRC, through the Director Sport Development, Mr Muchechetere, imposed restrictions on the handball NEB (national executive board) members after they failed to announce the dates for the elections.

“The restrictions categorically stated that (the) SRC was not going to clear NEB members to go on tours outside the country or render services in clearing donated goods.

“To us these measures were meant to curtail the NEB from enjoying foreign trips and focus on instituting good governance as reiterated by SRC in The Herald newspaper.

“With all the above in black and white from you sir and to all of us, our NEB has continued to violet/flout SRC directives with our president Mr Madzvamuse telling us that (the) SRC will do nothing to him. It is on record that they have defied directives not once or twice but four times.

The latest being organising and participating in the Invitational Tournaments with junior teams in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 30 to December 5 2015. “This was done in direct contravention of the October 16, 2015 communique from the SRC. Only the timid NEB members did not go fearing for disciplinary action. The president (Madzvamuse) and the brave team that are now used to flouting SRC measures went to enjoy the games and associated allowances.”

Mandla went on to say that what boggles the mind is that if surely restrictions were imposed to whip errant leaders into line and are then violated with apparent impunity, then the Sports Commission has to be more serious when dealing with the ZHF’s national executive board as it is tarnishing the image and undermining the authority of the Government.

“As this is not enough, the president (Madzvamuse) is leaving for Zambia on December 9-12, 2015 to participate in another tournament with clubs and selected schools, not taking heed to the call by council members to respect authorities.

“Surely good governance can not be achieved under these circumstances. “Development is good and we applaud that but should be done with respect to the provisions of good governance.

“Most worrying is WHO IS CLEARING THE PRESIDENT AND HIS MEMBERS? Could it be that some of the SRC members are sympathetic to our NEB members or benefiting from the tours and clearing them without the knowledge of the DG and your office?

“For your on information, these trips are not sanctioned. They have no records of minutes of the NEB itself or council approving such teams and individuals to be allowed to represent the country in a foreign land and make sure there is accountability and documentation of activities.

“Mr Muchechetere my boss, allow me to say that the terrible mistake made was taking away our constitutional right as a council to determine the fate of a dysfunctional NEB just because they are an interim executive established by (the) SRC.

“Now we are made to watch helplessly without playing our part to assist in the implementation of our own constitution with these perpetrators of bad governance enjoying knowing very well that their demise rests with (the) SRC and there is nothing we can do. Can’t this be revoked sir? Now we have to wait agonisingly for a verdict that is taking ages to come while our sport is sinking,” Mandla said in his letter to Muchechetere.

He went on to say that their 2016 season will be very difficult as they were missing out on prospective sponsors during this last quarter of the year in which every organisation is planning.

“DG and DSD you have been patient enough and your understanding has been misconstrued and manipulated.

The major stakeholders in handball, councillors, NAPH, NASH, Athletes Commission and Women in Sport have been sidelined in all decision making.

Handball is now a one-man band using briefcase office. Please help us salvage our sport from the armpits of selfish and insensitive leaders. We know you have the authority to do it.”