Mliswa questions Nhemachena credentials

Sport
TEMBA Mliswa, the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture yesterday tore into the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) director-general Charles Nhemachena, questioning the retired colonel’s sports credentials.

TEMBA Mliswa, the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture yesterday tore into the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) director-general Charles Nhemachena, questioning the retired colonel’s sports credentials. SPORTS REPORTER

Charles Nhemachena
Charles Nhemachena
The firebrand former sports administrator made the scathing attack while presenting questions to the Sport, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa on the role of the SRC on national sports associations.

Mliswa said he was not happy that the SRC failed to deliver the supervisory role they promised to help Zifa deliver a credible poll, laying the blame solely on Nhemachena who he said was not qualified to run the affairs of the supreme sport regulatory body.

“You recall me asking you who were the sports experts who gave you guidance? I ask that question because I have surmised that the Sports and Recreation Commission CEO (chief executive officer) is a retired colonel in the army who was deployed at the time it was set up for strategic reasons not for professional ones. We are past that,” Mliswa said.

“I would want to know his credentials as the CEO pertaining to sport and I’m not saying that the army or police have no sports experts, but what is his qualification other than being a retired colonel and being deployed to run sport?

“What I know of colonel is that he’s in charge of a brigade and I think somehow that’s where we have lost it and need to change.”

Mliswa said SRC was supposed to ensure that the Zifa leadership presented financial reports before holding elections.

“He came before this committee to say that the SRC had no control over Zifa in the presentation that he gave us. National sports associations are required to comply with certain provisions which include the annual submissions to the SRC of their audited financial statement, activity reports, income and expenditure.

“My question is how many have complied, for example Zifa went into elections before complying when we asked him if they had submitted any financials. Are you aware that Zifa went for elections without producing financials?” Mliswa quipped.