By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi’s Minister of Sports will now be sitting in the Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 management board’ Council of Ministers (the Troika) after the country has been appointed as vice-chairperson.
Malawi was appointed the important role at the Council of Ministers meeting held on November 11-12 in Maseru, Lesotho.
AUSC Region 5 Council of Ministers comprises sports ministers from Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswathini, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Malawi.
Minister Phiso (centre)
At the meeting, Malawi was represented by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Francis Phiso MP, together with Director of Sports, Youth, and Culture Jameson Ndalama and Acting Executive Secretary of Malawi National Council of Sports Henry Mereka.
“Through a final communique of the AUSC Region 5 Council of Ministers, the ministers responsible for Sport ratified the motion to transfer the chairpersonship from Botswana to Lesotho and the subsequent appointment of Malawi as a new member of the Troika together with Botswana in line with AUSC Region 5 constitution.
Mereka explained in a statement that the Troika takes decisions in between meetings of the Council of Ministers.
“The appointment of Malawi into Troika follows Malawi’s obligation to host the 2022 AUSC Region 5 Under-20 Games.
“AUSC Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games happen biennially and are hosted by member countries on rotational basis. The games attract the following sporting codes: football (men and women), netball, athletics (boys and girls), boxing (boys and girls), athletics for visually impaired (VI) finalize paralympic (boys and girls), basketball (boys and girls), judo (boys and girls), lawn tennis (boys and girls), gymnastics (boys and girls), volleyball (boys and girls) and swimming (boys and girls).”
Meanwhile, Lesotho also hosted the inaugural joint Regional Sports Forum for Southern Africa under the theme ‘Towards a collective vision and harmony in sport’ in Maseru on November 13 and 14 after Region 5 Council of Ministers’ meeting.
The Sport Forum, jointly organised by African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees (COSANOC) is aimed at promoting harmony among all sports delivery agencies in order to create goal congruency that stimulates sustainable development of sport.
International, regional and local sport bodies participated in this first of its kind Sports Forum. Such umbrella bodies as the African Union (AU), SADC and Ministers responsible for sport in the 10 AUSC Region 5 Member Countries were part of the delegates to this historic event.
The Forum had an interesting flavour in that delegates from outside the continent were part of the forum to share their experiences in the area of promotion and sustenance of harmony among sports delivery agencies in their respective territories.
A number of challenges in sport have been observed over a longitudinal period as a result of lack of collaboration, absence of common vision, misalignment of sports policies and programmes, uncoordinated sports competition programmes, lack of transparency on resource usage and accountability principles, general disharmony and conflict among key players at country level.
Some of these challenges have led to restrictive and punitive measures such as suspension of some countries by International Sports Federations.
The unique forum provided a platform for all key stakeholders to engage and establish common and convergent areas of interest to collaborate in the best interest of the athletes in particular and sport in general.