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Elina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
SPORT and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane says they have extended the current Sports Commission Board’s tenure by three months in order to allow them adequate time to find the right people for the job. The current board was appointed in February 2013 and their term of office expired on February 5 this year, but the minister extended their tenure by another 90 days as he looks to finalise on on-going consultations.

Hlongwane said it is important to have the right people on the board who are able to deliver hence the need to take time and consult with stakeholders.

“Admittedly the sports movement needs to begin to see results coming both from the SRC as an extension of Government and also at the level of the national sport associations. And one strategic intervention for performance and delivery of the sports and recreation movement in the country is at the level of the SRC.

“It becomes crucial that at the level of the board we put in place a board made up of people that are able to drive the agenda of sport development as performance and success in a manner that the movement is proud of.

“And therefore it’s important that the movement is patient so that we get the right people for the job, so that we get the right people for the assignment.

“The sports movement must expect a new board in place in the next three months. We are currently busy with the consultation of arriving at a process of putting in place a new board.

“I think this is not a matter that we want to rush over and we are also having a conversation with some of them as stakeholders in terms of the suitability of different individuals for deployment to this very important assignment,” said Hlongwane. The minister said they already have names for consideration but it’s a matter of having the right people who are able to deliver.

“It takes months, there is a lot of stakeholder involvement at different layers of Government, there is a lot of input again at different layers of Government and I am happy to allow that process to unfold in its natural way because like I have said it’s not like I don’t have the names.

“We have the names and the process has long started. The process has not started today or last week, the process has long started but it’s an ongoing process you need to arrive at a good product and I think that is important,” Hlongwane said.

Edward Siwela is the acting chairperson after taking over from the late Joseph James, who resigned in 2014.

The other members are Dave Ellman-Brown, Jessie Nyakatawa, Aisha Tsimba, Miriam Mushayi, Obidiah Moyo, Ethan Dube and Farai Kanyangarara.