SRC officially lift ZC board suspension ZC board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani

Sports Reporter

A TWO-MONTH stand-off between the Sport and Recreation Commission and Zimbabwe Cricket board members elected in June this year has now officially ended after the country’s supreme sports regulator officially wrote to the directors advising them their suspension has been lifted.

This should pave the way for Zimbabwe Cricket to be readmitted into the International Cricket Council family of members and open the revenue taps that oil the domestic game.

ZC acting managing director, Givemore Makoni, who was also suspended together with the board members, has had his suspension lifted.

‘‘Pursuant to the Order of the Administrative Court of Zimbabwe giving effect to the Deed of Settlement signed between the parties under Case No: ACC 34/19, the SRC hereby lifts the suspension of the Zimbabwe Cricket Board and acting managing director,’’ SRC chairman, Gerald Mlotshwa, wrote to ZC board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani on Wednesday.

‘‘We reiterate that the Sport and Recreation Commission will not interfere with the administration and/or management of Zimbabwe Cricket without the consent of the International Cricket Council.’’

The official developments follow an agreement that was reached between the SRC and the ZC board members after a series of meetings.

Last week, the SRC took a giant step towards resolving the domestic cricket impasse when they agreed to nullify their decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket board members.

This followed a series of meeting engineered by Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry. What was now left was just for an order, which the SRC had given their green light, to be issued by the Administrative Committee.

The suspended ZC leaders had approached the Administrative Court seeking an order to have their suspension nullified and, with the SRC agreeing to that, the granting of the order was guaranteed.

The ZC board was suspended by the SRC in June over allegations of electoral malpractices and financial misappropriation.

But the decision drew a backlash from the ICC who suspended Zimbabwe from all cricket activities under their auspices.

The ICC also froze funding to Zimbabwe and gave an ultimatum for the reinstatement of the ZC board, before their next board meeting set for October 12, where Zimbabwe’s membership would be reviewed.

“On 24th June, 2019, the Applicants in the above matter, being the Directors of Zimbabwe Cricket, appealed to the Administrative Court of Zimbabwe, in terms of Section 32 (1) of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act, against the decision of the SRC to suspend them as Directors.

“Pursuant to formal engagement initiated by the affected Directors, the SRC is pleased to advise that the above matter, pending before the Administrative Court of Zimbabwe, has been settled with the parties thereto, including the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation agreeing to an Order by Consent. Once issued by the Administrative Court, the Order will have the effect, inter-alia, of lifting the suspension of the Directors of Zimbabwe Cricket, as well as that of the acting managing director thereof.

“Conversely, and upon such issuance, also by the Administrative Court, the Interim Committee appointed in terms of Section 30 (2) of the aforesaid Act, and including the interim managing Director, shall cease to be responsible for the affairs of Zimbabwe Cricket. The effective date of these respective occurrences shall be the date of issuance of the Consent Order by the Registrar of the Administrative Court of Zimbabwe,” read a statement from the Sports Commission last week.

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