Herald
7 July 2011
By Petros Kausiyo
EDUCATION, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart wants Zifa and the Sport and Recreation Commission to convene an urgent football stakeholders indaba that will ensure the domestic game reaps rewards from Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s visit to the country.
Coltart had a chance to meet with Blatter during his whirlwind tour of Zimbabwe his visit to Zimbabwe and joined the Zifa board, Sports Commission leadership and other officials at the Harare International Airport on Tuesday to see off the Fifa boss and his entourage.
Blatter left Harare for Durban, South Africa where he will attend the 123rd session of the International Olympic Committee but not before indicating to the local football family that they needed to come up with initiatives after which Fifa would assist them financially and materially.
Coltart said it was imperative that government led the way in assisting Zifa’s revival mission and felt that Blatter’s maiden visit to Zimbabwe would “re-energise our football”.
The Minister insisted that Zimbabwe had the capacity and potential to be a regular feature at the African Cup of Nations and also felt the Warriors could also put up a strong fight and even qualify for the World Cup.
“I think it has been a very positive trip by the Fifa president. I hope it energises all of us to work harder so that Zimbabwe football reaches its true potential.
“I think we have under-performed given the talent that we have and we should not be battling to qualify for the African Cup of Nations or even the World Cup.
“We should also de-politicise football so that we leave people who are better placed to run the game and have the passion for it to run the sport,” Coltart said.
Coltart said he had impressed upon both Zifa and the Sports Commission the urgent need for the football indaba.
“I have had a discussion with Zifa and the SRC and agreed that we need to have a fresh impetus to the indaba in August.”
Coltart said the main thrust of the meeting would be to find tangible ways funding for football and also comes against the background of Blatter’s pledge to assist the association.
“The focus of the indaba is to look at financing of football, seeing what we can do as a government and the private sector to ensure that football on a viable and sound footing,” Coltart said.
Coltart said it was also important for the Zifa board to focus on other facets of the game after they completed their probe into allegations of match fixing that had rocked the domestic game.
Zifa’s investigating committee, headed by the association’s vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, compiled the Asiagate report which has been handed over to Fifa, Caf, Sports Commission and the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture.
“I think the Zifa board has, in the last few months, been focusing on the match-fixing and efforts to clean up the game.
“I have not seen their report yet but the law must take its course without fear or favour. If there is criminal activity established and if there is prima facie evidence then the police will have to come in and deal with that.
“Some of the offences may not constitute a criminal act but if it infringes on Zifa and the Fifa statutes then Zifa should use their disciplinary code, our role as the Ministry is that of overseeing that due process is done,” Coltart said.
Fifa have since engaged Interpol to assist them fight the scourge of match fixing and illegal betting across the globe.
The World soccer governing body’s head of security Chris Eaton and investigations officer Terry Steans are also scheduled to travel to Harare for meetings with the Gumede committee, the Zimbabwe Republic
Police, the Sports Commission and other people viewed as key to completing the probe.
Eaton had been expected to arrive in Harare from South Korea last Sunday but is understood to have rescheduled his journey for later his month as his team had another mission in Mexico.
Coltart also said he had noted that Zifa needed assistance to beef up their secretariat and said the matter would also be tabled for discussion at the envisaged indaba.
“Under the ambit of the indaba if it comes up that Zifa needs help in terms of personnel we will see how can assist.
“But really I would want to invite some of my colleagues in Cabinet for that indaba so that we address issues of taxation, the costs of hiring stadia and other levies eating into football,” Coltart said.
Sports Commission board vice-chairman Edward Siwela said although Blatter’s visit was a big event for football, he believed it was also a blessing for the country’s sport.
“Our view is that this must be a blessing to Zimbabwe sport and to Zifa in particular when these big guys come. It is an endorsement of what we are doing in sport.
“We however need to ensure that we button up on our administration so that we exploit the opportunities that such a visit brings. We appreciate fully the significance of this tour and as SRC we have completed our strategic plan for the next six years on the challenges bedeviling the administration of sport,” Siwela said.