SPORT, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry has once again ruled out Government interference in the operations of national associations and instead indicated that Zimbabwe was working well with various international federations that govern the various disciplines.

Coventry is in Bulawayo where she is attending Parliament’s pre-budget consultative workshop.

Although the core business of the workshop is centred on the upcoming budgetary statement, Coventry once again found herself having to address the same issue that her deputy Yeukai Simbanegavi dealt with during a question-and-answer session in Harare.

Norton legislator Temba Mliswa had reportedly asked the minister on the Ministry’s position on parliamentarians like ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa, his deputy Omega Sibanda and Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani who head their associations while also being legislators.

Simbanegavi had earlier addressed questions around the status of the trio of Chiyangwa, Sibanda and Mukuhlani.

But Mliswa felt the three were “conflicted’’ in holding office in the August House as well as at their respective associations.

Parliament sources said Coventry told Mliswa that: “My Deputy Minister answered that in Parliament and these people are controlled by their international sports federations.

“They come to us through the SRC and I have already said that Government will not interfere in their operations. If Parliament wants Government to intervene, then we should be ready for the consequences which include being banned by the international federations of those sports codes,’’ the sources said.

Coventry however, acknowledged that Government was working well with international federations, which include FIFA, the International Cricket Council and the International Olympic Committee.

The minister’s stance also put paid to spirited efforts by a clique that had sought Government interference in the final phase of ZIFA elections scheduled for December 1 in Harare.

State Media