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Sports Reporter

THE Sports and Recreation Commission have urged ZIFA to respect the laws of the country to avoid the unsavoury incidents similar to the current impasse between the sports regulator and the association.

The two organisations are involved in a boardroom brawl following the suspension of the association’s chief executive officer, Joseph Mamutse, pending investigations into allegations of flouting Covid-19 health regulations.

The Sports Commission were not happy that teams were cleared to undertake foreign trips without the necessary approval of the responsible Ministries of Youth, Arts, Sport and Recreation and of Health and Child Care.

They also suspended their director-general, Prince Mupazviriho, over the bungling. But ZIFA have since approached the Administrative Court to challenge the legality of the move to suspend their chief executive.

“FIFA does not control Zimbabwe as a country. FIFA does not control the Sports and Recreation Commission in Zimbabwe, the relationship that FIFA has with Zimbabwe is with ZIFA.

“ZIFA as an affiliate of FIFA is subject to FIFA statutes, but equally because ZIFA is a registered national sports association with the Sports Commission, it is also subject to the domestic laws of this country, and the domestic laws of this country takes precedence over ZIFA’s relationship with FIFA.

“Quite obviously, there are times when there is a conflict, a conflict in that SRC want to do something and ZIFA or FIFA may feel that we are encroaching on their arrangement. Then there is always a threat (from FIFA) that we’ll deem that to be Government interference or third party interference which we don’t allow and we will suspend ZIFA etcetera.”

“That’s the conflict that has always been there, us playing our regulatory role in terms of ensuring for good sport governance and administration in Zimbabwe as per SRC code, and then an association, seeing that role, which is the legislated role, as interference and a violation of its arrangement with FIFA, that’s the conflict.”

ZIFA have said the actions by the Sports Commission are akin to “interference by third parties” and have threatened to approach FIFA. The world football organisation does not tolerate interference in the administration of the game and usually respond to such cases by banning the association from all football activities. The SRC, however, believe they are empowered by the Section 30 of the SRC Act 30 of the SRC Act which deals with erring members. Under the provisions, the commission have the right to “suspend all or any of its officers” or, in the worst case scenario, “strike the association from the register”.

This is bound to happen in the event that the association “ . . . (b) has failed to comply with any provision of this Act; or (c) has conducted itself in a manner which is contrary to the national interest.”

“When we act, like we did, about two weeks ago in suspending Joseph Mamutse from all forms of sports administration in this country, the reasons for that were clearly stated, and those reasons relate to SRC carrying out its statutory role.

“I think we said it quite clearly we can’t sit back and wonder how it is that national sides end up in other country in Covid-19 environment, where for that team to travel a cabinet authority required, there is a process.

“The SRC itself, actually doesn’t approve of these trips, it doesn’t have that power. That power is vested in the Minister of Sport, that power is vested in the Minister of Health, they work together. The SRC itself is merely a post box, let’s put it that way, to see that the application is compliant are the necessary documents there,” said Mlotshwa.

The Sports Commission have ruled that officials should be held accountable for the shoddy decisions that may put the athletes and officials at risk of contracting the coronavirus.