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Sports Reporter

THE African Union Sports Council Region 5 Council of Ministers conferred 10-year service awards to four cadres on December 2.

The event was held in Maseru, Lesotho.

Conferment of 10-year service awards is consistent with Article 12.3.10 of the Region 5 Constitution in which Council of Ministers are mandated to confer Honours and Awards on any Member State, team or individual for meritorious service rendered to AUSC Region 5 and for exceptional achievements in national, regional or international competitions.

The Region 5 CEO, Stanley Mutoya of Zimbabwe, together with the current Administration Officer, Masego Lesotlho, and former Region 5 Programmes Manager, Petros Mrape, were conferred the award together with Zimbabwean medical doctor Nicholas Munyonga.

The award recognises cadres for having loyally served the Region for 10 continuous years thereby contributing towards the greater development of the Region.

Mutoya joined the Region 5 office as a General Manager in 2011 and rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer/Secretary General in 2016, a position he holds to date.

Mutoya is currently heading the Regional Organising Committee for the Games as the Chairperson.

He currently serves as the Chairperson of the African Games Accra 2023. He has led several African Union missions at continental level key among them being the establishment of AUSC Regions 2, 3 and 4.

Mutoya also led the review and formulation of a revised African Union Sports Policy for Sustainable Development which will be tabled for ratification by the Specialised Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sport in February 2022.

Mrape worked in the Region 5 as the Programmes Manager from 2011 until he retired in September 2021. He spearheaded the establishment and strengthening of the Sport Education and Accreditation Systems (SEAS) Programme.

He served on various Task Teams among them being the Podium Performance Programme Regional Team of Experts and Safeguarding Task team.

His tireless work saw the Region conducting a research study leading to successful hosting of the Women in Sport Conference in 2015.

Mrape was involved in introduction of several Region 5 flagship programmes key among them being the Women Leadership Programme (WLP), TAFISA Certified Leadership Course (CLP) offered online for the first time ever, Female Leaders of Tomorrow (FLOT) as well as Management Development Programme (MDP) to be offered in partnership with Bindura University of Science Education from 2022.

Lesotlho joined the Region 5 working as the Administration Officer from June 2011 to date. She has led to stabilisation of the Region’s finance and administration systems and processes.

She spearheaded formulation and continual updating of the Region’s operational policies key among them being the Financial Policy and Regulations, Service Charter, HR Policy. During her tenure, the Region’s finances have always received a clean audit. She has also managed the organisation’s assets and inventory well.

Munyonga was appointed Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Chairman in 2015 and served in the ASUC Region 5 as an Executive Committee member since then.

He was nominated to serve as a Regional Organising Committee (ROC) member where he has served from 2011 to date.

He has served on the Podium Performance Programme Team of experts since 2015 and continues to take up assignments at regional level from time to time. The 10-year service awards are part of Region 5 rewards programme.

Under this programme, Region 5 has four offerings being the Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA), Medals of Honour, Ten-Year Service Awards and the Sports Hall of Fame.

All these are meant to provide due recognition to athletes, officials and administrators for their selfless service to the regional, continental and global sports movement.