Zim Govt Clears ZC

[CrimsonAvenger]

http://allafrica.com/stories/2014022706 ... ?viewall=1

ZIMBABWE cricket yesterday received a major vote of confidence from the Government with the State insisting they are happy with the efforts being made by its leadership to negotiate the turbulent waters that have hit the sporting franchise.

Deputy Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga yesterday told Parliament that her ministry was satisfied with the efforts that ZC were making to swim out of the turbulence and restore order in cricket.

Parliament had written to the Government seeking answers on the status of Zimbabwe's cricket.

Yesterday the Government threw its weight behind Peter Chingoka's leadership and also cleared the cricket boss and his deputy Wilson Manase of "conflict of interest" following allegations in some quarters that were questioning the pair's roles in one of ZC's bankers, Metbank.

Parliament wanted to know why "the ministry had not taken action to correct the situation where several senior members of the cricket board in Zimbabwe hold senior positions in Metbank despite the conflict of interest".

But Kanengoni-Malinga said they established that there was no conflict of interest as both Chingoka and Manase were non-executive directors.

"Messrs Wilson Manase and Peter Chingoka are not shareholders of Metbank. They are non-executive directors both at Metbank and ZC transactions were made at management level.

Related party transactions were noted in the audited annual financial statements.

"Non-executive directors at ZC guide the organisation's strategy and policy whilst operational issues, e.g. relationships with banks are for the management of the organisation. Non-executive directors are not signatories to ZC's bank accounts.

"ZC has (or has had) relationships with five other banks locally, namely Ecobank/Premier, NMB Bank, CBZ, Interfin and FBC Bank and has an account with Barclays Bank," Kanengoni-Malinga said.

The deputy minister also noted that ZC had a longstanding romance with Metbank and reckoned that the financial institution needed to be commended for standing with the association during cricket's tough times.

"ZC's relationship with Metbank goes back to several years. The account was opened with the explicit permission of the ZC board which at that time included a Supreme Court judge, Justice Ebrahim, and a well-respected (Prince Edward) headmaster Mr Clive Barnes among other notable cricket administrators.

"The issue of related party transactions was duly noted as far as Mr (Ozias) Bvute, the then acting managing director, was concerned, this ceased to be an issue once declaration of potential interest has been made. It should be further noted that the directors are not the ones who negotiated the facility. This is purely a management function.

"Again when the account was opened Mr Manase was not on either the ZC and the Metbank boards while Mr Chingoka was not yet on the Metbank board."

Kanengoni-Malinga said Metbank needed to be applauded for their support to ZC when the game had been a victim of politics which had left national cricket under threat of isolation.

"When Zimbabwe cricket was under threat of isolation there was no one willing to assist. Metbank filled that void otherwise we would not be talking of cricket.

"Instead of condemnation, Metbank should be acknowledged for providing such support at a crucial stage of the development of the game.

"Metbank has continuously assisted ZC by extending loans to keep ZC afloat and these have been at prevailing market values. To get where the association is they have done so with their bankers.

Without that relationship there would be no cricket to talk about as is evidenced by the current state of affairs where the banks are not lending.

"Related party transactions (Metbank/ZC) are well known by the ZC board, Sport and Recreation Commission and the International Cricket Council and as from the times Messrs Chingoka and Manase joined the Metbank Board.

"This is well reflected in ZC board reports and ZC's annual financial statements and as also passed on to the International Cricket Council.

"For the avoidance of doubt and from the foregoing, this obviates any thinking that pressure could have been brought to bear on the bank to assist ZC nor for ZC's management to approach Metbank or indeed any other bank," Kanengoni-Malinga said.

The deputy minister also told Parliament that ZC had begun normalising the situation in cricket following the payment of players' salaries and the resumption of the domestic game.

"Normal cricket activities resume immediately in respect of the national team after payment of salaries and match fees which ZC effected on 13 February 2014. The squad is now preparing to participate in the ICC World T20 scheduled for March/April 2014 in Bangladesh.

"Other activities have not been disrupted. The Zimbabwe Under-19 is currently participating in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the national women's team is preparing to leave for South Africa. At the same time provincial club cricket is ongoing".

Kanengoni-Malinga also explained to Parliament the nature of the ICC's loan to ZC and also commended the association for using their own initiatives to survive without seeking Government assistance.

"Unlike other sporting associations ZC has not approached Government seeking assistance. They have a clear financial programme which will see them out of the current situation," Kanengoni-Malinga said.

[Conant]

So one day in, not a single message in response so far? inconvenient truth maybe?

[jimmylesaint]

Just so you don't feel lonely Conant.
The article only touches the surface- the fact remains that ZC drove itself into serious debt- are we to now believe that was mismanagement on a colossal scale??!? Will ZC now cut back on the Admin staff that administrate the reading of papers in their jobs.
I think less thanking and commending Met Bank and more chastising and spanking ZC for getting eyeballs into debt-whether by mismanagement and/or skullduggery.
I suppose a proper forensic audit would have been too embarrassing- then of course Met bank wouldn't give permission for the Forensic Auditor to search their records.
To be fair with HERGM as the patron of cricket, would the outcome have been different?

[Googly]

Conant and Outkast absolutely kill me. How can you defend the indefensible? Nobody believes a word u guys say, not on this forum or any other. It's like you are working in the ZC PR dept and really not very good at it. The guys are supposed to leave on Wednesday for WC and there are still monies outstanding and there's talk of them holding fast until everyone gets full and final settlement. After this month everyone is painfully aware that the big drought is coming. Paying the boys has pained them so badly that they are not forking out any more cash any time soon. Franchise will fizzle out until next season and then there will be more abortive attempts to get guys on the field with allowances and promises. The ZIMRE boss would be a better bet at heading up ZC, he only scoops 300k a month.

[zimlover]

In a perfect world Chingoka would have been sacked,but because the Zimbabwean government does not pay anything to cricket ,it has no full interest on who is stealing what or what.Basically Chingoka is untouchable even ICC cannot touch him.The real question is who can replace chingoka if he need be I don't see anyone lifting their heads to challenge him.The only person who can spoil the deal for chingoka would be The patron His excellency the president.

[jaybro]

Honestly I can't see how you can defend ZC there is nothing they have done which you could say has improved the game in recent times, the fact we are so broke is a reflection on them it is their duty to run the financial side of the game and the fact we are in so much debt is a reflection on them. In any other country Chingoka would be sacked or he would stand down he is obviously not capable of turning things around because we have been in this shit fight for over 10 years ......

Conant the fact no replied I think is more because no one believes it or can be bothered ......

[zimfan1]

http://www.herald.co.zw/another-cricket-impasse/

[zimfan1]

http://www.herald.co.zw/another-cricket-impasse/

As predicted

[zimfan1]

. The Zimbabwe Cricket authorities said, in response, the ZPCA rejected arbitration.

“They accepted what ZC had offered them, but only on condition that ZC agreed to putting 25 percent of the distribution amount due to it from the ICC for the tournament, that is 2,225 million dollars, into a pool to pay the players next season at ZPCA’s discretion,” the ZC statement said.

“The ZPCA said the pool would guarantee player payments and so avoiding the situation which occurred late last year of delayed salaries andmatch fees and enable ZC and the ZPCA to agree in due course on the appropriate number of contracts for next season.

[eugene]

So one day in, not a single message in response so far? inconvenient truth maybe?

There isn't really a story here. One corrupt organisation clearing another corrupt organisation from any wrongdoing.