Race Storm Hits Zim Cricket

[bayhaus]

white batsmen alleged that blacks were bowling short-pitched balls to them in the nets and counter allegations by black bowlers were that white fielders where reluctant to restrict runs from their deliveries

THIS IS PATHETIC! Defeated before they even get on the field!

In an effort to prevent a repeat of the past, Chingoka last week circulated a notice for a stakeholders’ conference to board members, honourary life presidents, provincial chairpersons, national team players, franchise management, school heads as well as the ZC leadership.

And here is exactly what I was hoping wouldnt happen but knew it probably would, a cosmetic glossing over the issues. It needed to be a commision, and spill all. Thats the only way to get people to get over. But if we have a conference where people will just discuss how bad racisim is without specific people being grilled then nothing is happening. We will have this come up again soon.

[Ming]

1) the truth needs to be established. For it to be indisputable, it needs to be established via an INDEPENDENT commission of enquiry, otherwise it's conclusions will always be doubted by one party. That means an external person, no space for Chongooa here.

2) remedial measures need to be taken. Disciplinary, for those found guilty of unacceptable conduct. Structurally, socially and educationally for future generations - that's where a stakeholder get together may eventually be useful.

[hhm]

THIS IS PATHETIC! Defeated before they even get on the field! But if we have a conference where people will just discuss how bad racism is without specific people being grilled then nothing is happening. We will have this come up again soon.

How can they compare a practice situation to a game scenario!

I agree, we need a commission. Sadly some of the guys in this forum see that with emails and everything, plus the fact that Peter, Ozias and Co. having nothing to lose, the only loser here will be the AC-Coltart camp. Some people's heroes stand to be embarrassed and lose their standing, so they can't let the world know that they are really that bad and scheming racists. A lot of the Rebels' attitudes are bound to be exposed indirectly as well. Old wounds will be opened, and so they should. The falsely written history has been severely one-sided, and future generations have been fooled into thinking everything is hunky-dory!

I don't think guys here would be singing 'forgive and forget' if the Minister in question was Chigwedere issuing an unfavourable directive, and Makoni in AC's position, while Mangongo(Butcher) and Vusi(Taylor), were conspiring to outvote James so that Utseya could get in ahead of Price. Bring on the commission!

Ming, an independent person can only be possible if they are being paid and appointed by government. ZC has no money or authority to do so, and unless one of the MPs raises alarm, it's up to Coltart to propose it and parliament appoints one. I've already suggested retired judges Ahmed Ebrahim or Wilson Sandura.

[bayhaus]

) remedial measures need to be taken. Disciplinary, for those found guilty of unacceptable conduct. Structurally, socially and educationally for future generations - that's where a stakeholder get together may eventually be useful.

I agree the stakeholder conference can come in after the commision and then map a new way forward.

[hhm]

My point in mentioning those judges was that, unless it's Gubbay or someone of that ilk, they won't be considered independent anyway. Ebrahim is someone the rebels don't like remember, and considering they rejected a black lawyer, there's no way they'll accept that a black judge is independent.

I can't see Coltart calling for a commission with his head on the line. There is hope considering Jono mentioned a lot of things, so he may raise that motion.

[Ming]

Ming, an independent person can only be possible if they are being paid and appointed by government. ZC has no money or authority to do so, and unless one of the MPs raises alarm, it's up to Coltart to propose it and parliament appoints one. I've already suggested retired judges Ahmed Ebrahim or Wilson Sandura.

My point is that if we don't want this issue to come back every 5 years, the truth needs do be established irrefutably. If the person in charge of the process is not seen as being 100% independent, there will always be someone to cast doubt on the findings of the commission.

How such commissions are established is not something I would know much about. Can a panel not be set up from exterior countries (for example, experts from three member countries)?

[bayhaus]

Source: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-10135 ... ports.aspx

Zimbabwe Cricket calls racism summit
ZIMBABWE Cricket chief Peter Chingoka has called an urgent summit “to unpack the elements of our strained race relations” after a bitter race row engulfed the game last week.
Chingoka said the summit to involve cricket administrators, schools heads, players, the Sports Commission and Sports Minister David Coltart will “confront the hard issues before us”.

A row erupted last week after Givemore Makoni, the convenor of selectors for the Zimbabwe cricket team publicly accused Coltart of racism over a directive requiring selectors to have played for Zimbabwe.
Makoni, who did not play for Zimbabwe, argued that there was a very small pool of former black players to choose from, claiming the directive would ultimately see the selection panel staffed by whites.
Zimbabwe Cricket later stated it would not be implementing Coltart’s directive, judging it to be illegal.
But realising the damage the row is causing to cricket, Chingoka is calling for an all-stakeholder conference to tackle racism allegations – some from well before the latest row.
He said on Tuesday: “There have been recent incidents that are disturbing. There have been reports of black and white players using separate buses on senior team tours.
“At the ICC Under 19 World Cup held in Australia in August last year, white batsmen alleged that blacks were bowling short pitched balls to them in the nets and counter allegations by black bowlers were that white fielders were reluctant to restrict runs from their deliveries.

“Our domestic leagues have not been spared either, as there has been a marked increase in the number of disciplinary allegations initiated by allegations of racism.”
Chingoka is proposing a summit in March when the cricket team returns from its tour of the West Indies “whose sole objective is to discuss and unpack the elements of our strained race relations with the objective of creating mutual understanding and dealing with the demons that continue to haunt our sport.”

He added: “It will be like no other meeting held before in that we must now confront the hard issues before us.
“Let us put a stop to innuendos, hidden agendas, and the politics of divisiveness for if we all say that we are of the cricket family, then we must give cricket a fighting chance.”

For many years after Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, cricket was primarily a white sport with very few black players and administrators.
In 2001, Zimbabwe Cricket established what it called an Integration Task Force aimed at increasing black involvement in the sport.
There was resistance to what some saw as affirmative action and an exodus of white players beginning in 2004 was seen by black players and administrators as a racist plot to weaken the team and project blacks as incapable.

Most of the players who quit, including the former captain Heath Streak, have since been reintegrated back into the structures as coaches after Zimbabwe Cricket extended an olive branch.

That statement is setting the tone? Lets hope its not just rhetoric.

[bayhaus]

Source: http://www.3-mob.com/?p=9503

Coltart-Makoni Saga: No To More Trying Times For Cricket
The Coltart/ Makoni saga got me thinking really hard about our cricket affairs in general from the boardroom to the field.

The directive has been the cause of much concern in the country particularly for the cricketing world since its announcement. Its initial draft stated that only former national players could be considered as selectors. ZC took the issue with a pinch of salt t because of Zimbabwe’s past which saw few black African players represent the country at national level. The country’s cricket governing body said the directive would continue to marginalize the majority of the population by ruling them out of administrative positions.
How good have we been in the past decade in this gentlemen’s game? Some would argue that we haven’t played enough cricket this far. Some would like me say there has been a considerable amount of development in this game, enough to say we have rebuilt cricket to the extent that it has bore some internationally recognized stars like Hamilton Masakadza, Brendon Taylor, Elton Chigumbura, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tatenda Taibu, world class umpires Jeremiah Matibiri and Owen Chirombe record breakers like Brian Vitori and the youngest T20 umpire Langton Rusere.

I am sure most of us would boldly say, we can never go back to the era of oppression by any standard what so ever. Whether or not Makoni is a worthy candidate it remains to be seen but for now until we can place a trusted “white man” we would be looking at another black man succeeds him and continue fighting for the cause of the general black cricketers. For now the directive by the SRC shades nothing but those painful days of our cricket history. Those days were being black was one’s undoing whether or not you were a good cricketer.

Where l hail from, in Bulawayo, there were players like the late great wicketkeeper batsman Wisdom Siziba, Godwin Dube, Mbekezeli Mabuza, Lucky Ngwenya, Trevor Phiri, Tinashe Hove, Sydney Dingizita, Chris Phiri, Vumindaba Moyo, Bhethule Mlotshwa and yours truly but unfortunately these gentlemen where denied a chance to showcase their skills to the nation because of the racial card being pulled time and again, eventually ending most of our careers at provincial level.

The racial card though must not be used as an excuse for our short comings; we have had our fair share of pathetic decisions as the black administrators. On the field of play there has been a ‘trial and error’ approach for the better part of the past decade or so until the arrival of the most successful project cricket has seen in this country; the franchise system. It has been successful, l mean judging from the fact that the system has produced a couple of progressive stars like Nathan Waller, Kevin Kasuza, Brian Chari, Stephen Chimhamhiwa, Tino Mutombodzi, Tendai Chatara, PJ Moor to mention just a few.

It’s interesting how Coltart has attracted so much attention when in actual fact cricket isnt doing that bad ( from my point of view). It’s a broke institution yes, its management has its short falls yes, its players have put one too many dismal shows yes, but with all due respect can all these problems be solved by appointing a former national team player to be convener of selectors? From the surface it looks and sounds well to have quality selectors but how many black faces do we have the backs of those hapless youngsters?

This directive is coming a bit too early, we will have to have the Vusi Sibanda, Masakadza, Matsikenyeri playing era coming to an end. Then they can usher the game from a hands on approach in terms of experience but until then the black majority, am sure will guard this convener of selectors post jealously because it provides for a fair player selection platform.

[CrimsonAvenger]

http://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/01/30/src ... -zimbabwe/

TENNIS ZIMBABWE (TZ) is set to engage the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as one of the sports associations set to be affected by a directive which requires selectors to have played at their highest level of competition in the particular discipline.

DANIEL NHAKANISO

The directive comes into effect on Friday and could see TZ being forced to overhaul its selection committee.

Initial reports had suggested that only cricket, triathlon and lawn bowls would be affected by the directive, but tennis also looks set to be affected.

TZ has a selection committee assigned to selecting the Davis Cup team and representative junior sides for various regional and international tournaments.

The current TZ selection committee is headed by the association’s former TZ vice-president Tanya Chinamo as the convener.

Other members of the committee include Martin Lock, Petty Tshatedi, Martin Dzuwa, Freeman Nyamunokora and Petros Ndlovu.

While Lock and Dzuwa represented Zimbabwe in the Davis Cup, other members of the committee did not represent the country at the highest level.

Selection convener Chinamo played at junior level in the ’80s, the same level played by coaches Nyamunokora and Ndlovu, while Tshatedi did not represent Zimbabwe at any stage.

This is in conflict with the recently amended directive which states that: “not less than fifty percent (50%) of the selectors shall have represented Zimbabwe as athletes/players at the senior level in the particular sport discipline”.

The directive further states that: “All conveners shall be former national team players and where there is none former national team players on the selection panel, he/she shall have coaching experience or some technical expertise in the particular sport discipline.”

In the case of junior teams, the directive states that “. . . a person should have represented Zimbabwe as a player/athlete at a level not lower than the one to which the selection pertains”.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport yesterday, TZ vice-
president Regis Bhunu said they would seek audience on the directive with the SRC.

“There are still some ongoing deliberations on the issue and we are still engaging the SRC. We feel that while the directive is workable in other disciplines, it might be a different case with local tennis. For instance, the composition of the selection committee is guided by our constitution which is approved by the SRC, so before we make any changes we would have to consult them and see if we can map out the way forward together.”

Current convener Chinamo said dialogue was the way forward.

“I think dialogue is the way forward. We are not resisting the directive. In fact, we have always enjoyed very good working relations with the SRC. We are going to use dialogue in order to reconcile the SRC directive and our current selection criteria. I cannot make any further comments beyond that until we have met with the SRC,” Chinamo said.

Zimbabwe Cricket convenor Givemore Makoni has cried foul over the directive, insisting it is aimed at sidelining him from the game and has accused Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart of a deliberate plot to deny ZC a chance to appoint a black coach for the senior team.

Coltart has adamantly denied the charge.

Isnt that the way to talk about it?

'Makoni made it look like it would only affect cricket and blowls, then came triathlon, now tennis. So, that looks like a case of unnecessary sensationalisation. Chinamo though, has shown immense maturity in his statement.

[hhm]

Coltart should never have called into question the quality of Mangongo's cricket as a youngster. By quoting Makovah, he added weight to his belief that Makoni wasn't good enough, which is why he didn't progress.

Bruce Makovah, in defending Makoni, said this week that Makoni played cricket "but not at a high level" -- his words not mine. Why was Mr Makoni discriminated against if they weren't or was he just not good enough? I am not in way disputing that black players had tremendous and unfair obstacles to overcome but can we truthfully say that that was the reason Makoni didn't play provincial or national cricket? In other words was he in fact "blocked" from selection as suggested?

I wonder how many guys out there will decide to write something as well. For Coltart's sake, I hope they are diplomatic.

I agree wholeheartedly with the author:

I am sure most of us would boldly say, we can never go back to the era of oppression by any standard what so ever. Whether or not Makoni is a worthy candidate it remains to be seen but for now until we can place a trusted “white man” we would be looking at another black man succeeds him and continue fighting for the cause of the general black cricketers. For now the directive by the SRC shades nothing but those painful days of our cricket history. Those days were being black was one’s undoing whether or not you were a good cricketer.

Where l hail from, in Bulawayo, there were players like the late great wicketkeeper batsman Wisdom Siziba, Godwin Dube, Mbekezeli Mabuza, Lucky Ngwenya, Trevor Phiri, Tinashe Hove, Sydney Dingizita, Chris Phiri, Vumindaba Moyo, Bhethule Mlotshwa and yours truly but unfortunately these gentlemen where denied a chance to showcase their skills to the nation because of the racial card being pulled time and again, eventually ending most of our careers at provincial level.

This directive is coming a bit too early, we will have to have the Vusi Sibanda, Masakadza, Matsikenyeri playing era coming to an end. Then they can usher the game from a hands on approach in terms of experience but until then the black majority, am sure will guard this convener of selectors post jealously because it provides for a fair player selection platform.

Non-negotiable:
1.Black Convenor
2.Black majority in selection
3.Postponement of the directive for 10 years!