Sports and Recreation Commission findings revealed

Government report slams Zimbabwe board

Cricinfo staff

December 15, 2005

A report from Zimbabwe's Sports and Recreation Committee has slammed the operations of Zimbabwe Cricket and the way that it has been run over the last year. The report, which Cricinfo has a copy of, was sent to Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman, ahead of a meeting between SRC officials and the ZC board on Tuesday.

The four-page document slammed the financial controls of ZC. "Management accounts were not presented at the board meeting, making board decisions on financial matters difficult. This gave rise to suspicion and allegation of financial impropriety."

It continued: "There is a perceived lack of transparency in the manner the financial transactions are handled by the ZC chairman and managing director [Ozias Bvute]. There is perceived financial imprudence and misapplication of ZC funds by the board and its principal officers. There is a strong view that the bulk of the ZC funds should be channelled towards the players and cricket facilities, rather than the current position where it is perceived to be directed at the peripheral areas such as the bloated administrative staff of 74 members. The marketing wing of ZC is also perceived to be a financial drain."

While the ZC accounts were audited, "distribution to the associations was inordinately late, being handed to delegates at the start of the meeting, in clear violation of the constitution ... delegates did not have adequate time to analyse the accounts. Numerous concerns have since been raised regarding perceived financial mismanagement with calls for a forensic audit."

The board is also lambasted for its handling of the players and its "failure to timeously and effectively resolve issues ...leading to resignations by key players." It added: "Three months after the New Zealand and India tour, players have not been paid their match fees. Equally disturbing is the fact that the majority of players have not signed new contracts. Out of a possible 40 players, only six have signed new contracts."

And the board's control over provincial associations is also slammed. "They [the associations] have been allowed to go without holding annual general meetings and submitting their accounts to ZC."

The issue of money overseas, which has caused Bvute and Chingoka problem of late, was also raised. "Despite a board decision in 2004 to close the offshore accounts and repatriate the currency in the accounts, this was not done, in direct contravention of the Exchange Control Act."

The findings will increase calls for the current executive to be suspended and replaced with an interim administration pending new elections.

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