Zimbabwe stakeholders fight abolition of provinces

Zimbabwe's cricket fraternity has responded furiously to the decision by Zimbabwe Cricket to dissolve traditional provinces and to accommodate 10 smaller associations which will be run by interim boards.

The decision has been described as a desperate effort by ZC to buy time and silence the emerging dissatisfaction from the smaller provinces over ZC's mismanagement of the game.

The old provinces have however declared to keep their structures intact outside the ZC set-up. "We will still continue as a province with or without ZC," Charlie Robertson, head of the provincial chairmen's association, said. "What happened is dictatorship at its worst."

Robertson said ZC had dissolved the provinces in contravention of its own constitution in an attempt to pacify the government for its failure to complete the drafting of a new constitution by the April 3o deadline set by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).

"Up to now nothing has transpired with regards to the constitution," Robertson said. "There has been zero communication from ZC. No one has been consulted. We are still the legitimate stakeholders in Zimbabwe cricket. If they are not talking to us, then who is drafting the constitution.

"What happened shows that no one is prepared to adhere to the constitution. The SRC letter last year shows that the commission encouraged ZC to decentralize but in line with the constitution. All this has been ignored. This is shocking behaviour. The laws of the constitution and special general meeting have been flouted. Its well-documented that Chingoka is quite happy to ignore that constitution."

A former ZC general manager added his voice to the disapproval, saying the decision by the interim committee was part of a determined elimination process. "ZC had earlier said they could not affiliate without following the constitution. So what has happened now," he questioned. "It's a total mess. They are just doing what they want now and no one can stop them. They are bringing new people into the system because they do not want to leave office now. They want total anarchy so that no one sees what they are doing."

"The issue of affiliation has always been on the cards," Elvis Sembezeya, leader of a splinter Mashonaland Cricket Association board fighting for legitimacy in the province, said. "But it comes down to the reasons why we are doing this at the end of the day. What the constitution says must carry the day. I'm not sure if what happened was constitutional. And if there is any constitutional amendment happening, it must involve the old provinces because they are they are still the biggest stakeholders. How can you make a constitution when you sideline the oldest provinces. It's not surprising anyway that ZC has chosen that path. They have always done things without following the constitution. But I tell you if someone decide to fight against the legality of the decision, ZC will be found wanting."

Sembezeya added that the new provinces needed a bit more time before they could be given full-province status. "If you don't have structures how can you call yourself a province? ZC should have given them time while assisting them to grow in terms of capacity and player base. Cricket is unique ... you cannot run it like you do with other sports."

Cricinfo has gathered that stakeholders are considering challenging the province's abolition in the courts, although nothing concrete has been decided yet.